The Hindu : Steps to check entry of SARS virus

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 02, 2003

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National

Steps to check entry of SARS virus

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI APRIL 1. Concerned over the outbreak of the mysterious Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), the Union Health Ministry today issued guidelines to all regulatory authorities to monitor and prevent the spread of the virus in India.

Though the Ministry still insists that there is no need to panic, it wants to take all precautions and create awareness. To stop the entry of the virus, the Ministry has developed a pro forma, which is mandatory for all passengers arriving from the 13 SARS-affected countries to fill out when they disembark at the airports of Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata. The Ministry has formed a core group comprising physicians and health workers who would be monitoring the condition everyday.

Also, three hospitals — the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and the Safdurjung Hospital — in Delhi have been identified for the treatment of any suspected cases and medical superintendents have been briefed about the situation.

Speaking to the press here today, the Director of National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), Shiv Lal, said: ``We have issued guidelines to health officials at airports who have trained posted personnel to look out for patients and isolate them immediately. Also, the pro forma developed in consultation with the Indian Medical Council of Medical Research, which looks for specifics on an individual's current health, will also be issued to workers at various international airports to identify the patients.''

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