HYDERABAD: All the passengers arriving at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), including those by domestic airliners, would be screened for Coronavirus.
The State Health Department would soon set up a second Coronavirus testing laboratory at Osmania General Hospital to keep the dreaded infection at bay.
Referring to the increase in the number of Coronavirus cases in the neighbouring States, Telangana Health Minister Eatala Rajender, speaking to media persons here on Tuesday, said, “We will take extra precautions. All the passengers at Hyderabad airport will be screened. We already have four thermal screeners. We will procure four more. Besides, the number of personnel has been increased fourfold and 200 extra personnel will be tasked with screening the passengers at the airport”.
Previously, when the Health Minister had approached the Union Health Minister, Dr Harshvardhan, for provisions to start screening for domestic passengers, Dr Harshvardhan had turned down the request, claiming that they did not have enough resources to do so. But at a video conference earlier in the day with Dr Harshavardhan and officials of the Central Health Ministry, Eatala secured permission to set up a second testing laboratory at Osmania General Hospital.
“The virology lab is already available at the OGH. However, permission is required from the Centre to start the testing process. We will be bringing the reagents to OGH and start testing as soon as possible,” said Eatala.
Speaking about the team that visited Kerala, he said, “It has submitted its report. As per the Kerala model, they had isolation beds and wards even at PHC level. We also have a similar system in all the districts, and if required, we can shift the patients to these isolation wards as well.”