Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 5 (IANS): UAE-based Indian businessman B R Shetty has offered the 46 nurses freed by insurgents in Iraq jobs in hospitals he owns across the Gulf country, Nepal, Bhutan and India.
Shetty announced his offer in advertisements in Kerala newspapers.
He asked the nurses, who returned from Iraq Saturday, to contact his office if interested.
The nurses were taken by insurgents from Tikrit to Mosul and then set free in the Kurdish town of Erbil Friday. A plane carrying them landed in Mumbai Saturday.
Shetty's NMC Group runs a string of hospitals and clinics in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other places.
The special Air India flight with 183 people on board, includes the 46 Indian nurses from Kerala whose fate in strife-torn Iraq had kept the entire nation on tenterhooks for the past few days.
Reports said many nurses protested at the Erbil airport, saying they won't board the plane unless they are paid their four months' arrear salary.
Indian officials persuaded them, and they finally agreed.
All the 180 passengers, plus three crew members, are reported to be safe, the officials said.
Chandy will receive the nurses at the Kochi airport, where a special immigration desk has been set up.
The Air India flight took off earlier from Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan, after the nurses were freed by the insurgents following intense Indian diplomatic efforts.