The Health Department is well-prepared to provide the best of medical care and protection to Non-Resident Keralites (NoRKs) right from the time they land at the airports in the State, Health Minister K.K. Shylaja has said.
In an official statement issued here on Wednesday, Ms. Shylaja said all activities were being coordinated around the four international airports in the State. Separate health applications (apps) have been developed for passengers alighting in each of the airports.
Details of those who have registered through Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NoRKA) Department are available in the app and through QR code details. Each passenger can be traced and followed up. Details can be collected manually from those who have not generated a QR code.
Passengers with masks will be seated in a zig-zag manner inside the aircraft. There will be announcements about the precautions that passengers need to follow inside the airport and while in quarantine. Passengers should fill in a self-report format, to be handed over to help desks.
Screening at airport
At a time, 10-15 people will be allowed to alight from the aircraft maintaining one metre distance. Temperature readings will be taken in the aerobridge and anyone running a temperature will be removed to the isolation bay and the rest will be sent to the help desk.
There will be four to 15 help desks in the airports depending on the number of passengers. Each desk will be manned by a doctor, a staff nurse or field worker, a volunteer and a data entry operator. Passengers are examined at the help desk and anyone with any of the symptoms are removed to the isolation bay. The rest will be directed to the guiding station and their luggage will be disinfected before being sent to quarantine centres.
Those in isolation bay will be taken in ambulances to COVID-19 treatment centres. Their luggage will be disinfected and tagged and sent to the hospital where they are admitted. Those in quarantine will undergo RT-PCR test and if anyone test positive for SARS-CoV-2, they will be shifted to hospitals. The government has readied 207 public hospitals, including 27 COVID-19 care hospitals, as per the Plan A, B, C prepared by the department. These include a total of 11,084 isolation beds and 1,679 ICU beds. If the number of the sick goes beyond expectations, then all 27 COVID-19 care hospitals will be fully converted to dedicated COVID-19 hospitals.
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