Ebola: FG begins screening of inbound passengers at the airport

The Federal Government has stepped up efforts aimed at curtailing the importation of the deadly Ebola virus into the country through the nation’s airports.

A picture taken on July 24, 2014 shows staff of the Christian charity Samaritan’s Purse putting on protective gear in the ELWA hospital in the Liberian capital Monrovia. An American doctor battling West Africa’s Ebola epidemic has himself fallen sick with the disease in Liberia, Samaritan’s Purse said on July 27. AFP PHOTO

Already two people have died in the country as a result of the virus.

To this end, the Federal Government, through the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Health, has begun intensive screening of inbound passengers into the country.

For instance, arriving passengers of Cam Air, a Cameroonian based airline, were on Wednesday screened at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, by officials of Port Health Services, a division of the Ministry of Health.

The passengers, who arrived Lagos airport at about 3.15 pm from Cameroon and Gabon, were received by a team of Port Health officials attached to the facility, who immediately directed the passengers to queue up for the screening.

Our correspondent observed that the process was carried out first with the use of an Infra-Red Thermometer, which the officials used to take the temperature of the over 100 passengers as they entered the restricted arrival area of the terminal.

Scores of Port Health personnel attached to the Lagos International Airport were wearing white gloves and stationed at different units of the Arrival Hall before Immigration protocol chose to carry out body temperature tests on the arriving passengers.

An official, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said the screening with infra- red equipment and hand gloves was to avoid body contact with passengers who arrived the country .

He explained that the screening of the in-bound passengers was in three phases, which included the distribution of forms to ascertain their health status; the checking of the aircraft and screening of the passengers with infra-red equipment before they embarked on immigration protocols.

FAAN’s General Manager, Corporate Communications, Mr. Yakubu Dati, who conducted our correspondent round the facility, said the screening was part of effort by the government to curtail the spread of the deadly virus.

Viewed 1 times
Ebola: FG begins screening of inbound passengers at the airport