12 Indonesian migrant workers repatriated from Saudi Arabia taken to hospital

2011-05-04 23:46:56 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- Twelve people were taken to hospital on Wednesday after a ship carrying more than 2,300 migrant workers repatriated from Saudi Arabia docked in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.

The Jakarta Globe reported that the National Board for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Overseas Workers said the sick patients were suffering from a range of ailments, including stroke, heart problems, tuberculosis, tumors and hemorrhages. Four babies were born on the return voyage, while one female migrant worker died aboard the ship on Saturday.

According to Antara news agency, the ship sailed from Jidda, Saudi Arabia, since April 22, 2011. It is unclear why the ill patients aboard the ship were not flown home.

The government flown a total of 2,073 overstaying Indonesian workers home from Saudi Arabia in six stages from February 14 to March 19, after the plight of a number of workers was publicized by the media.

Several reports involving harsh abuse against Indonesian labor workers had deteriorated work force relations between the two countries, as international media covered several cases in which abuses led to the death of several workers.

Earlier this year, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said there are at present a total of 3,271,584 Indonesian migrant workers overseas with 4,385 cases of maltreatment including acts of violence and sexual harassment.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-05-04

Nice job of butchering the headline. LOL.