Pinoy Nurse in Najran Asks: Why Aren’t We Being Evacuated by Gov’t?
MANILA – For a Filipino nurse based in the border between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, the situation there is far from normal.
“Nitong nakaraang araw po nandito na po sa tapat namin yung bombing. May tinamaan na pong Pilipino. Yung tinamaan po ng bomba 500 meters away lang po sa accommodation at saka sa hospital namin,” said “Anna” in an interview with DZMM on Friday morning.
The injured Pinoy was rushed to the King Khalid City. She said they do not know how the Pinoy is doing now.
Anna said their situation in Najran is not different from what Filipinos in Yemen are experiencing.
“Ano pinagkaiba natin sa Yemen? Yung bomba sa Yemen, binobomba din tayo dito. Walang pinagkaiba. Bakit yung nasa Yemen napauwi na kami hindi pa? Kasi di kami Yemen, Saudi Arabia kami… Pero same lang nararanasan naming,” she said.
She said that a composite team from the embassy and consulate recently held meetings with Filipinos in Najran.
“Ang sinasabi nila normal ang life dito. Bakit daw kailangang mag-panic? Naghihintay daw sila na maglabas ang Saudi ng alert level bago sila kumilos,” Anna said.
The embassy, she said, regularly releases advisories to the Filipino community. But Anna said many of them want to be evacuated soon.
“Ang employer naman po namin walang plan na mag evacuate sa amin kaya kami nagde-depende din na gumalaw yung embassy and yung consulate natin sa Jeddah. Yung may-ari po ng hospital po namin nasa Jeddah na po ngayon,” she said.
The hospital she is working for has 11 Filipinos under its employ. Ten, including her, are nurses, and one Filipino doctor.
According to her, it’s not easy—particularly for women– to just leave on their own.
“Hindi po kami basta-basta makakaalis kasi ang passport namin, papers namin lahat nasa employers po namin. Lalo na po sa aming mga babae, di ka basta-basta makakaalis lalo na wala kang sasakyang sarili na may driver ka na kamag anak o kakilala mo, di pwede po yung ganun,” she said. – Report from DZMM