COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore district health department claimed to be conducting intensive checks at all 13 check posts located on the border with Kerala from September 15 as part of measures to prevent the spread of Nipah virus.
On Sunday, there was no screening at the check post in Walayar, which is an important transit point. While health officials said police did not cooperate with them, locals said the camp was deserted within a few days.
Following several complaints on lack of screening, TNIE visited the check post around 2.30 pm on Sunday but found no one there. Even though thousands of people in hundreds of vehicles crossed the check post until 3.20 pm, there was no screening.
Locals said this was usual. “Whenever the health department flags an issue, officials set up the check post and screen people. After a few days, they would leave. Whenever officials or media people visit, the team returns and puts up a show of checking. Officials just pose as if they are working hard to prevent the virus from spreading,” said a villager who did not want to be named.
After the death of a 24-year-old man due to the virus in Malappuram district in Kerala, the Tamil Nadu health department ordered districts which share borders with Kerala to be alert. Coimbatore is vulnerable as it has more connectivity with Kerala. Walayar check post is located on one of the major routes on the Salem - Kochi National Highway.
A health official who was responsible for the Walayar check post said they appointed three teams, each consisting of nine members, to screen people entering Tamil Nadu from Kerala. “The teams work round the clock in shifts. Since September 15, we have been monitoring people with high temperatures and those with a travel history to Malappuram district.
Anyone showing fever symptoms is taken to CMCH in a 108 ambulance. On an average, we screen around 2,500 people per day, with no fever cases reported so far.” When asked why personnel were not present at the check post, the official replied they may have gone for lunch.
Further, he said they cannot stop vehicles without help from local police, but they have not been cooperating in the screening efforts. “We requested KG Chavadi police station to send a policeman to assist in the screening camp. As they did not cooperate with us, we are facing trouble in continuing the screening at the state border check posts due to lack of support from the police.”
Superintendent of Police R Karthikeyan said that they would deploy more officials at the check posts wherever the health department needs their support.
“This issue was brought to my knowledge through the district collector in the evening. We will provide enough strength to the health department’s screening process,” he said.
P Aruna, deputy director of health services, who is in Delhi for training, said over a phone call that she would inform officials to look into the issue immediately.