AP Steps Up Ebola Screening For Passengers Arriving From Abroad
Andhra Pradesh has intensified health monitoring at international airports as a precautionary response to the global situation surrounding Ebola cases reported in parts of Africa.
As part of this preventive strategy, medical teams at Vijayawada International Airport in Gannavaram conducted screening for 183 passengers who arrived from Singapore on Thursday. Officials said the checks are being carried out as a routine safety measure for all international arrivals on scheduled flight days.
Health department officials confirmed that none of the passengers screened showed any symptoms associated with Ebola. They also said quarantine arrangements are already in place to handle any suspected cases, although no such requirement has arisen so far.
According to Dr. T. Jitendra Kumar of the state health department, preventive protocols are being strictly followed to ensure early detection and public safety . He noted that international flights operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and all passengers arriving on these days are subjected to mandatory screening. He also clarified that the recent arrivals had no travel history linked to Ebola-affected regions.
He further stated that in the event of any suspected symptoms, passengers would be immediately isolated and shifted to quarantine facilities at Siddhartha Medical College for further observation. The screening process has been in continuous operation since Tuesday, he added.
At the national level, health authorities are maintaining heightened vigilance after the World Health Organization declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17, following outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
Officials reiterated that India has not reported any Ebola cases. A recent suspected case in Bengaluru involving a traveller from Uganda was tested at the National Institute of Virology in Pune and returned negative results, confirming there is no current infection in the country.