No Ebola case reported in country so far; screening strengthened at Points of Entry: Nadda

NEW DELHI: As many as 10,974 international passengers arriving in India from Ebola-affected countries have been screened for the disease since May 23, the government informed the Lok Sabha on Friday, amid heightened surveillance after the WHO declared the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

Union Health Minister JP Nadda said passengers arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda and South Sudan were screened between May 23 and July 28 based on self-declaration forms submitted by international travellers, and through the Air Suvidha 2.0 portal.

No case of Ebola disease has been reported in the country so far, Nadda said.

He said the government has not imposed any blanket restriction on entry of travellers from Ebola-affected countries, he said, adding that all international passengers arriving at Points of Entry are being screened for a history of travel to the affected countries during the preceding 21 days.

The measures were strengthened following the declaration of the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak as a PHEIC by World Health Organization (WHO) and a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) by the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), he added.

Preparedness and surveillance measures have been undertaken in coordination with the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Department of Biotechnology and other stakeholders.

According to the Union health minister, enhanced screening and surveillance have been instituted at international airports and other Points of Entry, while advisories and standard operating procedures (SOPs) covering surveillance, screening, quarantine, clinical management, laboratory testing, infection prevention and control and case reporting have been issued to states and Union territories (UTs).

As part of preparedness measures, the government has issued detailed SOPs and operational guidelines covering surveillance and reporting, infection prevention and control, technical specifications for personal protective equipment (PPE), laboratory diagnosis, sample transportation, quarantine, isolation and discharge of cases.

Designated isolation facilities have been identified and their operational readiness ensured across states and UTs, Nadda said.

Laboratory diagnostic capacity has also been expanded through the ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, and additional designated Biosafety Level-3 laboratories across the country.

The government has also ensured the availability of PPE and other logistics for healthcare workers, including personnel deployed at Points of Entry.

Mock drills have been conducted in designated hospitals across states and UTs to assess preparedness, while capacity-building programmes have been undertaken for Airport Health Organisation officials, Bureau of Immigration personnel, state surveillance units and staff at designated isolation hospitals, the Union health minister said.

Additional doctors and paramedical personnel have been deployed at major international airports, he said, adding that thermal and symptomatic screening of arriving international passengers has also been strengthened at airports and seaports.

The government has stepped up risk communication through airport displays, social media, awareness videos and in-flight announcements, besides the 24x7 national helpline (1075).

The NCDC Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) has been activated, while regular coordination meetings are being held with concerned ministries, states and UTs, Airport Health Organisation offices and designated isolation hospitals to review preparedness, Nadda said.

The measures are aimed at ensuring early detection, rapid isolation and coordinated response in case of any suspected Ebola infection in the country, he added.