AP on Ebola alert: Airports, ports under scanner

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh has stepped up precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the Ebola virus in the state in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Union ministry of health and family welfare.

Medical teams have been deployed to screen passengers with suspected symptoms at three international airports in Tirupati, Bhogapuram and Vijayawada. Screening arrangements are also being made at the seaports of Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Nellore.

Medical and health secretary G Veer Pandian informed the Union health ministry officials about the preparedness measures during a video conference held on Thursday. He explained the arrangements made for isolation facilities, hospital beds, medical personnel, emergency equipment and management of suspected cases.

He said special isolation wards had been prepared at selected hospitals and a mock drill would be conducted on November 12 to assess preparedness at State and district levels. All concerned departments would be alerted to ensure effective identification, isolation, treatment and referral of suspected cases.

During the review, National Centre for Disease Control additional director Dr Himanshu Chautha and joint director Dr Shubha Garg (Micro) briefed officials on the Ebola situation worldwide as of October 31. Five countries reported 10,498 confirmed cases and 5,107 deaths. The Democratic Republic of Congo accounted for 10,467 cases and 5,103 deaths.

Officials stressed the need to screen passengers arriving from affected countries and verify their travel history for the previous 21 days. Asymptomatic travellers should undertake self-monitoring at home, while those who had direct contact with infected persons should remain under medical observation for 21 days. Suspected patients must be shifted to isolation hospitals in dedicated ambulances.

The state has readied five government hospitals with 46 isolation beds, 3,288 PPE kits, 104 sample collection kits and five ambulances.

Sample testing facilities will be available at laboratories in Visakhapatnam, Tirupati and Vijayawada, besides the ICMR-National Institute of Virology in Pune.

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The Hans India