Odisha health minister holds meeting on Ebola virus

Bhubaneswar: Health minister Mukesh Mahaling convened a high-level review meeting here on prevention and preparedness for a potential Ebola virus outbreak on Saturday. So far, no Ebola case has been detected in the country, sources said.The meeting involved a detailed review of precautionary measures, preparedness of necessary health infrastructure and requisite medical facilities in Odisha.Mahaling instructed concerned officials to strengthen screening measures at all airports in the state. He emphasised identification of suspected patients, preparation of isolation wards and availability of medicines and protective equipment.The meeting also decided to disseminate accurate information to raise public awareness about the Ebola virus and to dispel fear and rumours. “The state govt is fully prepared to face any potential health emergency and urged people to remain informed and not to panic unnecessarily,” said the health minister.Health secretary Aswathy S, NHM MD Brunda D, and other senior officers attended the meeting.Biju Patnaik International Airport has started screening passengers arriving from Bangkok for suspected Ebola virus after a guideline was sent to it from the ministry of health and family welfare.Bangkok is now the lone international destination operating from here. As per the guideline, passengers on the Bangkok flight will have to file self-declarations before arriving here regarding their past 21 days of itinerary. In that, they will have to specify if they were in some way connected with African nationals or countries, BPIA authorities said. Official sources said India has not reported any confirmed case of Ebola virus so far. However, in response to an outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain in parts of Central and East Africa and the World Health Organization’s declaration of a global health emergency, authorities in India have stepped up surveillance and screening measures across the country to prevent any potential spread.