Swine Flu: Ineffective screening at airport causes concern

Tirupati : Passengers who alighted from the four flights from Hyderabad just ‘walked past’ the Swine Flu Screening Centre set up at the Renigunta airport here on Thursday, rendering the facility totally ineffective. Lack of enforcement at this porous entry point is one aspect that can break down the entire screening system, thus opening the floodgates to ‘likely carriers’ into the city and also the world-famous pilgrim centre of Tirumala hills.
The facility, set up by Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the District Medical & Health wing, was meant to screen the passengers arriving into the city, quarantine those found having the symptoms and shift them to the SVR Ruia Government General Hospital for further treatment. The centre is manned by medical personnel from the Ruia and paramedical staff from the Renigunta Primary Health Centre (PHC).
However, the screening centre has been directed to enquire the case history and screen only those who turn up before them voluntarily, thus setting the ball rolling towards indifference. After taking a casual glance at the waiting docs, the passengers were found walking composedly towards the exit gate.
The screening centre has the basic drugs to test the visiting passengers, but the Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) drug to treat the Swine flu patients is available only at the Ruia hospital. The doctors were found using the porous surgical masks, as the ‘N95’ masks required to contain spread of H1N1 influenza have not been supplied. The absence of a blood sample collection/testing facility and quarantine setup at the airport may also cause reasonable delay and hence make passengers avoid getting through it.
13/08/09 The Hindu

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Categories: Airports Aug 2009