MANGALURU: A passenger who arrived at Mangalore International Airport on Sunday from Dubai and shifted to an isolation ward as he had symptoms of fever while screening, went missing from the hospital. But he was traced later to Bantwal.
Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Sindhu B Roopesh after holding a high-level meeting with health officials and airport officials said that the samples of the passenger have been collected and sent for examination.
“He is now at an isolation ward of a hospital and he is responding to the treatment. We are awaiting the test results,” she said.
Deepa Prabhu, taluk health officer, said that he was traced at his relative's house at Vittla and was shifted to a hospital in Bantwal.
“The report on the samples would be received in two days,” she said.
She said that the patient did not have any symptoms of fever and is normal.
“He will be kept under observation for 48 hours. He was found at his wife’s residence in Vittla. We convinced him to undergo tests.
“Since he refused treatment at Wenlock hospital, we shifted him to the Isolation ward of Bantwal taluk hospital,” she said.
Earlier the district health department had shifted the man to an isolation ward at the district Wenlock hospital.
District health officer (DHO) Sikander Pasha on Sunday had said that the passenger would be kept under observation for 24 hours and samples would be collected and only if he tests negative for the virus, he would be discharged.
However, the patient refused to co-operate with the hospital authorities and left the hospital on Monday morning.
Soon after the patient went missing from the hospital, the health officials informed Mangaluru South police. Pandeshwar police said that the health department informed them about the patient and no written complaint was lodged at the station.
The DC issued a statement on Monday that no positive cases of coronavirus were reported in Mangaluru and Dakshina Kannada district.
“There is no need to panic. A passenger from Dubai had symptoms of fever and we shifted him to district hospital. But he did not co-operate for the treatment and we will convince him to undergo proper check-up as a precautionary measure.”
DHO Pasha said that additional doctors will be appointed for screening at Mangaluru airport. “Two additional ambulances have been arranged at the airport to shift suspected passengers.”
No shortage of masks, medicines: Minister
Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda denied that there is a shortage of masks and medicines to deal with novel coronavirus.
"We held a meeting with pharmaceutical firms to take stock of the situation. We have sufficient stock for over three months," he said.
"There is no shortage at all. There may be instances of black-marketing and we are taking action against such people," the minister said.
Gowda said he will hold a meeting with officials of the departments concerned to take stock of the situation.
However, there were reports from several parts of the state, including Bengaluru, about a severe shortage of masks and hand sanitisers and overcharging.