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| Vulnerable: Patna airport |
Patna airport does not have the mandatory Ebola screening chamber even though the Union government has selected PMCH and 11 other hospitals in the country, for setting up dedicated centres to treat patients.
It has been three months since the Airports Authority of India (AAI) issued an order for all international aerodromes in the country to set up the Ebola screening chamber but Jaya Prakash Narayan International Airport remains oblivious to the guidelines of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
When The Telegraph asked airport director Sono Marandi on the reason for not setting up the Ebola screening chamber, he said: “I would talk on this issue later.”
According to general practices being followed regarding setting up Ebola screening chambers at airports, the temperature of the person is checked, as it is the first symptom of the virus. Thereafter, individuals are asked several basic questions such as where they started the journey, had they been vomiting or feeling unwell or and whether or not they had been near any affected person.
Sources at Patna airport attributed the absence of operation of international flights as a reason behind the delay in setting up the screening chamber. “Among the very few passengers of foreign origin, who come to Patna on connecting flights from other bigger airports in the country, very rarely can one see passengers from the worst affected nations,” said an airport official.
Patna district civil surgeon Dr K.K. Mishra said all private hospitals have been alerted to inform the administration about admission of any person from the affected regions.
Aviation experts, too, have condemned Patna airport authorities about not starting Ebola screening facilities. “Forget about screening and precautionary measures, there is not much awareness about health related measures to be taken at the airport. Such kind of callous attitude leading to risk for fliers is not good at all,” said Atul Singh, executive director at the Delhi-based Centre for Aviation, Policy, Safety and Research.
