CHENNAI: As many as 247 Tamils from 31 districts, who were brought from strife-torn Sudan through Operation Kaveri, have reached their native places safely. An official release said that following sustained efforts of the state and union governments, the 247 Tamils reached New Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru by May 5.
From there, they were brought to Chennai, Coimbatore, Trichy and Madurai by flight and later sent to their native places. Help desks have been set up in various airports on behalf of the state to help the Tamils brought from Sudan.
The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has requested airport authorities to send evacuated people without yellow fever vaccination certificates to a government medical college hospital for six-day quarantine, as Sudan is a yellow fever-endemic country.
A letter in this regard has been sent to airport directors at Chennai, Madurai, Tiruchy and Coimbatore international airports by Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine Dr T S Selvavinayagam.
In Chennai, a quarantine facility has been set up at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.
DPH has instructed deputy directors of health services to send it a list of passengers arriving from Sudan and a list of passengers without valid yellow fever vaccination certificates on a daily basis.
All international travellers arriving within six days of departure from any yellow fever endemic country are required to possess a valid certificate of vaccination or prophylaxis certificate in original. The certificate becomes valid only after 10 days of vaccination.
DPH said yellow fever vaccine will be given at three places -- King Institute, Guindy from 10 am to 12 noon on Tuesday, Port Health Organisation, Rajaji Salai, from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm on Monday and Wednesday, and World Trade Avenue, New Port, Thoothukudi from 11 am to 1 pm on Tuesday.