The Goa government had to change the ink used in quarantine stamping after some people complained of developing a skin allergy.
On Thursday, some of those who entered Goa by road through the Maharashtra border, after obtaining the necessary permissions, said they were left with skin burns caused by the quarantine stamp applied on their hands at the checkpost.
As the ink in the stamp is believed to have caused an allergic reaction, the government had it replaced. The exact number of people affected is not known.
“The inward stamp applied at Patradevi checkpost has caused a severe allergic reaction on our hands, with the skin itching, puffing and peeling off overnight. I request the government to look into this,” said Prajyot Lawande, who is a software engineer. Mr. Lawande shared his ordeal on social media, as did others, most of whom had been stamped at Patradevi checkpost on arrival.
“The skin where we were stamped started to itch badly immediately upon stamping,” said Mr. Lawande, whose wife and a friend had the same issue.
Officials said people entering the State were stamped twice using different inks. One mentioned the date, while the other sent them to quarantine.
“Of the two inks, the one with the date stamp has been okay. The quarantine stamp has caused an allergy in many. The said ink has since been replaced,” a police official at Patradevi said.
Director of Health Services Jose D’Sa said whenever there were complaints, the ink has been changed. “There were complaints a few days earlier as well and we had replaced the ink,” he said. Dr. D’sa said a slight irritation could be possible in a few people, but the ink cannot lead to an infection.
