Aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday night issued a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in connection with the Ebola disease for all airlines entering India from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
Air India, IndiGo and Akasa Air are among the 13 airlines which carry passengers (directly or indirectly) from DRC while IndiGo and Air India figure among the 17 airlines which ferry passengers (directly or indirectly) from Uganda. The rest are foreign airlines.
The directives, which have to be complied by all airlines mandatorily, are being issued to prevent the potential transmission of the Ebola disease and to ensure public safety, the DGCA said.
Before deboarding at Indian airports, all airlines must ensure mandatory filing and collection of the Self Declaration Form (SDF) from all passengers originating from or transiting through the affected countries.
It has mandated broadcast of these specific announcements in-flight by the airlines.
“In view of the current threat of Ebola disease in certain countries, any traveler who has fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea, rash and bleeding should report immediately to the airline crew and at the immigration/medical unit on arrival. This is important for early diagnosis for prompt management and preventing spread.”
Passengers and crew, irrespective of nationality, need to fill the SDF and hand it over to the immigration/designated counter, it said.
“In case any of these symptoms develop within 21 days of arrival in India, the traveler should seek medical assistance from the designated hospitals and also inform the airport health office,” the directive added.
In-flight protocol for suspected cases
In case a passenger displaying these symptoms was detected on board, the operating crew have to adhere to these containment procedures – designate a single cabin crew member to exclusively care for the symptomatic passenger; relocate the passenger to the rear end of the aircraft to minimise exposure to other passengers; three rows in front and side rows of the suspected case need to be kept vacant (as far as possible); separate washroom to be designated for the use of the suspect, provide the sick passenger with a mask and the necessary Personal Protective Equipment and provide triple-layer masks to passengers seated in the three rows in front, back and sides.
The aircraft needs to be completely disinfected immediately after landing, the order said. The Airport Health Organisation team at the airport needs to be given passenger details and details of passengers seated nearby so that they can be monitored for 21 days. Details of the designated flight attendant who took care of the passenger too need to be shared.
Arrival protocol for suspected Ebola passengers
The airline needs to coordinate with Air Traffic Control and airport operators to ensure the aircraft is parked in a separate, designated bay. Airlines need to execute sequential de-boarding.
All asymptomatic passengers shall de-board first. The suspected case and the designated caretaker must de-board last and must be handed over directly to the health team. Airlines must assist APHO in conducting thermal screening of passengers from affected countries.
Airlines have also been instructed to conduct targeted training for all crew members regarding public health measures to be executed during the flight. All aircraft need to be provisioned with first-aid kits and universal precaution kits strictly as per International Civil Aviation Organisation guidelines
The regulator also asked airlines to have an adequate stock fo triple-layer masks, disposable hand gloves, PPE kits, hand sanitisers and bio-hazard disposal bags.
