Nurses from several states have started leaving Calcutta, with as many as 185 nurses already taking a bus back to Manipur.

Many nurses from Manipur and Odisha have resigned from private hospitals, including AMRI, RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences, Belle Vue and Fortis, and more are expected to follow, officials said.

The Manipur government issued a transport movement pass, seeking permission from other states to allow vehicles to move, on May 9 to take 185 nurses back to Imphal.

The Covid-19 pandemic has created a demand for healthcare workers everywhere and many nurses wanted to return home because of family pressure, state government sources said.

A nurse who spent over three years at a private hospital in Salt Lake reached Imphal on Thursday.

“A bus was arranged by a local organisation. There were other nurses on it,” she said over the phone. “I came back because I did not want to work in a risky environment in Bengal. I will get a job here with my experience. If I don’t I will return to Calcutta once things improve.”

A nurse with a private hospital off the EM Bypass said her family had been insisting that she return home. “My father has spoken to a small hospital here. I will get a job after quarantine,” she said.

The exodus of nurses will cause a serious crisis for private hospitals in Calcutta, said Rupak Barua, group CEO, AMRI Hospitals.