A group of about 170 Indian healthcare professionals who had been stranded in India due to Covid-19 restrictions is expected to return to Qatar on Wednesday.

Several Indian healthcare workers who visited their home country before the spread of the virus had been stuck there for months as international flights were suspended. Some of these professionals, including doctors and nurses, are expected to travel Wednesday on a special flight from Kochi.

An official of the Federation of Indian Nurses Qatar (FINQ), who was at the forefront of the efforts to bring these professionals back to their workplace, said that the flight has been organised by Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and co-ordinated by FINQ with the help of the Indian embassy.

It is also learnt that Wednesday's flight is among the three flights planned to bring back medical staff stuck in India.

“HMC, the Indian embassy, officials in India and various associations extended their help for making this flight a reality, and we have plans to bring back medical professionals from the private sector also in the future,” the FINQ official added.