Kerala sets up medical desk in airports to screen for Ebola

Taking a serious view of Ebola outbreak in West African countries, Kerala Government has set up special medical help desks in three international airports in the state to screen passengers arriving from affected places for the virus.

Special medical teams have been deployed in Thiruvanthapuram, Kozhikode, and Kochi airports for conducting necessary examination at the airports as per the guidelines issued by Union Health Ministry, State Health Minister VS Sivakumar said here.

Passengers arriving from Guinea, Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone would be screened. Speaking after a high-level meeting, he said all necessary preventive measures have been taken.

Treatment facilities were also arranged at the medical colleges in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode and General Hospitals here, Ernakulam and Kozhikode, he added.

In Kochi, an official statement from the Cochin International Airport Limited said all precautionary steps, including inception of quarantine facility, were being taken by the authorities.

Travellers who have symptoms compatible with EVD like fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea, bleeding are also alerted to immediately report to health officer on arrival.

Also those developing these symptoms within 30 days of arrival in the country are also asked to immediately visit district hospital.