A ‘Novel Coronavirus Helpdesk’ has been set up at the Visakhapatnam International Airport to identify passengers with symptoms of novel coronavirus (nCov).
Passengers arriving at the airport with symptoms of the dreaded epidemic will be shifted to an isolation ward at the King George Hospital (KGH). The helpdesk is also aimed at creating awareness among passengers on preventive measures to be taken while travelling abroad.
There are direct flights from Visakhapatnam to Singapore and Malaysia, and one to Dubai via Hyderabad. There are also many convenient connecting flights from Singapore and Malaysia to China. Flights from Vizag reach Singapore and Malaysia early in the morning, from where passengers can get connecting flights to China within a couple of hours. There are many students from Vizag studying in Chinese universities.
The helpdesk has been set up by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on the directions of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Information regarding transmission of the virus, precautions to be taken and the need to remain alert are being displayed on flight information boards at the airport.
“Airline operators have also been asked to make announcements on international flights before landing and take-off. They have also been asked to look out for possible symptoms for quick screening and shifting of passengers who are suspected to be carriers of the disease. A doctor has also been deployed at the international terminal,” Airport Director M. Raja Kishore said.
“The Health Department of Andhra Pradesh has also put up boards with information on the disease in Telugu and English at strategic locations at the airport. The helpdesk staff collect information from passengers through feedback forms on whether they have travelled to China in the last 28 days, the purpose of their visit and other details,” he said.
“We send two reports at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to the ministry every day. No cases have been reported so far. These measures will continue till further instructions from the ministry,” Mr. Raja Kishore said.
“We have kept three beds ready at the Isolation Ward at the Emergency Medicine Department. So far, no cases have been reported. If any suspected cases are reported, swabs would be taken and sent to the Virology Lab in Pune for confirmation. We also have 12 beds at the Intensive Respiratory Care Unit (IRCU) for symptomatic treatment of respiratory failure cases and dialysis for kidney patients,” KGH Superintendent G. Arjuna said.
