by Special Correspondent -Panaji
Daijiworld Media Network - Goa
 
Panaji, Apr 28: Goa state machinery has been activated to track down around 500 britishers who have entered the state after Swine Flu outbreak in western countries.
 
“We will seek assistance of all the health workers posted at various health centres to get the throat swab samples  of the visitors,” Dr Rajendra Tamba, state epidemiologist, said.
 
 India has initiated precautionary measures to guard the country from swine flu outbreak. The union health ministry has asked that all the  passengers arriving from countries like the  UK, the US, France, Canada and new Zealand  be screened at the airport.
 
Moreover, all those who have reached here un till 10 days back would be tracked down and asked to report to the nearest medical centre, the  instructions reads.
 
Goa, which had attracted 20,283 tourists from UK alone till two weeks back has added another 500 passengers to its tally in last ten days.
 
The tourism department officials said that on April 18, Monark chartered flight brought in 80 passengers while on next  day, April 19, five chartered flights brought in sizeable 327 passengers who are  right now scattered all over the coastal state, mostly in the beach areas.
 
 On April 20, Thomas Cook brought in another 50 tourists here. Thereafter, the department has no statistics of whether more charters arrived.
 
The state health authorities who were busy chalking out action plan under the leadership of Dr Rajendra Tamba said that they will commission  two teams at the airport to get the throat swab sample from  the tourists arriving from the specified countries feared to have affected with swine flu.
 
Goa airport director D Paul Manickam said that they are awaiting for the medical teams to take charge.
 
The health services department has created a ward in Chicalim hospital, which would be used to quarantine the patient, if found positive for swine flu. “This was the ward used during SARS outbreak,” confirmed acting health director Dr Vasudev Devari.
 
Dr Rajendra Tamba, state epidemiologist, said that all the samples collected would be sent for testing at NIV lab in Pune. “We have no facility in Goa,” he stated.
 
Till afternoon today, the medical teams were preparing to take the charge while it was ample clear that there was no thought given to tackle how to track down the foreigners who have arrived here since last ten days.
 
“All the foreigners fill the C form which is submitted to the police. If department wants, they can go through the form and will get the details of where they stay. It’s not much difficult,” Ralf de Souza, President, Travel and tourism association of Goa, stated.
 
He said that the flu fear will not affect international  tourist season, which is already in its last leg. “The last chartered flight will move out of Goa in the first week of May,”de Souza said.

Superintendent of Police Bosco George when contacted on Tuesday morning stated that they had not received any formal request from the health authorities or tourism department to locate the tourists who arrived last ten days back.