KARACHI:
Authorities have started strict screening and surveillance of international passengers at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, amid concerns over the possible spread of the Ebola virus.
The move comes ahead of the return of Hajj pilgrims from Saudi Arabia, which is expected to begin from the third day of Eidul Azha.
Health authorities said passengers arriving from abroad, particularly from African countries where Ebola outbreaks have been reported, as well as pilgrims returning from Jeddah, would be subject to enhanced medical surveillance during the Hajj operation.
Talk to The Express PK Press Clubhead of the provincial health department at Karachi airport, Dr Syed Zafar Mehdi, said the viruses could spread internationally through travelers, especially from countries currently facing Ebola outbreaks.
He said dedicated staff had been deployed at the airport to screen incoming passengers using scanners and thermal guns.
According to Dr Mehdi, passengers with high fever or visible rashes, including red spots on the body, would be referred for further medical examination to the Sindh Government Infectious Diseases Hospital at NIPA.
These suspected patients would remain isolated at the facility until their test reports are received.
He added that health department staff stationed at the airport had also been trained in identifying Ebola symptoms and implementing relevant screening procedures.
Dr Mehdi said the Sindh Health Department has finalized precautionary and emergency arrangements at Jinnah International Airport after the recent international declaration regarding the spread of Ebola as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Authorities have also arranged emergency ambulances at the airport to immediately transfer suspected passengers with symptoms of infectious disease to the designated hospital for isolation and treatment, he added.
Separately, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday that the ongoing Ebola outbreak had already resulted in 220 suspected deaths, warning that delays in detecting infections had left health responders struggling to contain the crisis.
“We are urgently scaling up our operations, but at the moment the epidemic is beyond us,” Tedros said.
