Medical help desk in place at Pune airport

Pune: A help desk manned by a team of medical officials has been set up at the Lohegaon airport for screening and detecting possible cases of H1N1 virus (swine flu) among passengers arriving from international destinations like Dubai and Frankfurt.
Passengers arriving by domestic flights, particularly foreigners hailing from the endemic areas, too, are being checked randomly to ensure that the virus does not sneak into the city.
"We have been screening all incoming international passengers as per the directives issued by the Union ministry of health and family welfare," said J P Mathur, officiating director of Pune airport, while speaking to TOI on Tuesday.
The district health office has stationed a 17-member contingent of doctors and para-medical staff, including nurses and helpers, for the help desk in association with the Airports Authority of India's (AAI) three empanelled doctors.
"Our prime focus is on screening international passengers, especially those showing symptoms of H1N1 virus running fever or high temperature, excessive coughing or sneezing, etc," said Ganesh Kakade, one of the AAI's empanelled doctors posted at the help desk.
"In an H1N1 case happens to be detected, we have a system in place for moving such patient to an isolation ward at either the Sassoon general hospital or the Naidu hospital," he said. "The throat swab of such patient is collected and forwarded for testing and confirmation purpose," he added.
According to Kakade, the medical team at the airport has sufficient stock of first aid for symptomatic treatment and even health kits for suspected H1N1 carriers, who need to be moved to the isolation ward.
The Pune airport operates 37 flights everyday, with a daily passenger load in the range of over 4,900 travellers. This includes the international services to Dubai (thrice a week) and Frankfurt (six days a week) operated by Air India and Lufthansa, respectively.
The AAI has provided protective masks to all its employees as well as the airline staffers, cabin crew members, security and support staff for use while on duty at the airport. It has also provided the health ministry's forms seeking details from passengers regarding their health status.
06/05/09 Times of India

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Categories: Airports May 2009