KOZHIKODE/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/KOCHI: As many as seven passengers who arrived in the state by the first special train from New Delhi were admitted to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital with suspected symptoms of Covid-19 on Friday. Meanwhile, three other persons who travelled in the same train were hospitalised with other ailments.
The seven persons admitted to Kozhikode MCH included four from Kozhikode and one each from Malappuram, Wayanad and Kasaragod. One person who got down at the Ernakulam Junction (South) station was shifted to Medical College Hospital, Kalamassery, as he complained of chest pain. A passenger who arrived in Thiruvananthapuram was admitted to the General Hospital as he complained of breathing difficulty. A Pathanamthitta native who came by the same train was admitted to the General Hospital as he reported unwell. His swab samples were sent for testing.
Three other passengers who reached Thiruvananthapuram were sent to institutional quarantine. Among the 1,045 passengers who arrived by the special train, 286 got down at the Kozhikode station, while 411 detrained at Ernakulam and 348 at Thiruvananthapuram. Special arrangements were made at the railway stations to screen the passengers while ambulances and KSRTC buses were arranged for transportation. Of the 286 passengers who got down at Kozhikode station, 72 were from Kannur district. The other passengers included 67 from Kozhikode, 23 from Kasaragod, 56 from Malappuram, 24 from Wayanad, 43 from Palakkad and one from Thrissur.
Ten health desks were arranged to screen the passengers. The medical team comprised a house surgeon, a data entry operator and one volunteer. As many as 15 KSRTC buses were arranged to transport the passengers to their destinations. The train arrived at Ernakulam Junction at 1.45am where 411 passengers alighted. Four teams comprising two doctors each screened the passengers. While around 100 passengers proceeded to their houses by own vehicles, the others boarded the 14 KSRTC buses. Among the passengers, 237 were men and 174 women.
While 106 were Ernakulam natives, 45 were from Alappuzha. Among others, 20 were from Idukki, 75 from Kottayam, 46 from Pathanamthitta, 91 from Thrissur, two from Malappuram, 12 from Palakkad, 19 from Kollam, three from Wayanad and one was from Kannur. “None of the passengers had Covid symptoms and we have advised them to follow the home quarantine norms strictly for 14 days. We will be monitoring their health on a day-to-day basis,” Ernakulam ADMO S Sreedevi told TNIE.
The train arrived at the Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station by 5.15am on Friday. The passengers were natives of Thiruvananthapuram (131), Kollam (74), Alappuzha (21), Kottayam (21), Pathanamthitta (64) and Tamil Nadu (58). Among the passengers from Kollam, four were sent to institutional quarantine.
As many as 10 health desks were arranged to screen the passengers. The district administration had arranged 25 KSRTC buses to carry passengers to the other districts.
Among the 1,045 passengers who arrived by the special train,
286 got down at the Kozhikode station
411 detrained at Ernakulam
348 alighted at T’Puram railway station
Screening
Special arrangements were made at the railway stations to screen the passengers while ambulances and KSRTC buses were arranged for transportation.