Passengers Ebola screening exercise gathers momentum at airports
Nigeria’s quest to tackle the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EDV) gained momentum as the Federal Government through the Federal Airports Authority (FAAN) deployed massive equipment to ensure that inbound and outbound passengers do not bring the disease into Nigeria.
The use of the infrared and thermal scanners installed at the arrival and departure halls are to double sure that the virus does not find it way into the country.
During a tour of the screening equipment at the arrival of Kenya Airways flight, Port Health officials were seen using the infrared scanner while the thermal scanner had done ascertaining the passenger’s temperature.
The new arrangement is part of measures to sensitize passengers on on going efforts by government to checkmate any spread of the disease.
Sanitisers and soaps have been provided at toilets at the airport to ensure passengers maintain high level of hygiene.
Acting General Manager, Medical FAAN, Dr. Ayotunde Kehinde said FAAN and the Port Health services were working together to ensure all passengers were screened.
Some passengers who arrived aboard Kenyan Airways flight said, the measures put in place was commendable, they though they surprised at the development but it was for their benefits and that of the country.
Uko Eze who came in from the UAE via Kenya said there was no screening in Kenya but had however heard about the outbreak of the Ebola Virus.
Another passenger, Nnamdi John who came in from Dubai said he was aware of the Ebola outbreak and was not surprised when he was subjected to screening.
The Regional Manager, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Mrs Victoria Shinaba at the baggage claim area in an in with the media said, all the equipment put in place when Ebola was brought in to Nigeria by the index case, Mr. Patrick Soyan have all been since reactivated.
She said an emergency contingency plan in line with International Civil Aviation Organization ( ICAO ) and World Health Organization (ICAO), had been activated to ensure that any passenger with traces of any communicable disease was isolated and attended to.
“We have a Public emergency program in placement that is standard with ICAO practice and we follow that.”
She said the new arrangement where passengers were screened bodily with the prescribed scanners was carried out to convince airports users that the authority was on top of the situation.
According to her, few weeks ago, a mock exercise was carried out to prepare the relevant personnel on the procedure to adopt in the event of any outbreak of communicable disease.
According to her, FAAN would continue to stick to the public health emergency procedure to ensure that the relevant international standards were maintained.
