PTI
NEW DELHI, Apr 29: Passengers arriving at the international airport in the capital from swine flu affected countries will be screened for symptoms beginning on Thursday as the government geared up to meet the threat by setting up special counters at airports and stocked up on the drug which treats the disease.
In Mumbai, screening of passengers by airport authorities began on Wednesday with at three counters.
In the capital, counters have been set up at the international airport where 32 doctors and eight nurses would screen passengers from affected countries like Mexico, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and France from 8 am Thursday morning.
A central team lead by Dr Randeep Guleria of the AIIMS circulated treatment guidelines across the country and the Centre procured two million additional doses of Tamiflu, the drug which is used to treat the disease.
The screening process would be done at nine airports across the country and would include quarantine facilities for those reporting any symptoms.
The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) has also issued a CD containing an alert about the disease. The guidelines would also be put up at the websites of the NICD and the Health Ministry, NICD Director Shivlal said.
Team commissioned at Goa airport to screen passengers
PANAJI: Goa health authorities on Wednesday deployed a team at the airport here to screen passengers arriving from the countries in the grip of swine flu.
The health department has also asked the state tourism department to help them track down the tourists from countries like the UK, the US, France, Canada, Mexico and New Zealand whose throat swab samples would be taken for examination.
"The team is already at the airport but we will start full-fledged operations by tomorrow as we are awaiting the forms to be printed. These forms would be given to passengers who arrive from the countries feared to be in the grip of Swine flu," state epidemiologist Dr Rajendra Tamba said.
Goa is among the airports where Union health ministry has asked to adopt more specific measures as a large number of Britons visit this beach heaven during international tourists season.