Yangon Airport inspects for Ebola infection
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All passengers arriving at Yangon International Airport will be screened by thermoscan, as the authorities step up efforts to prevent the spread of Ebola virus into the country.
The Ministry of Health, through a state-run television, last night also quashed a rumour circulating on social media that a child suffering from Ebola has been admitted to Sittwe General Hospital.
The rumour swiftly circulated on social media, accompanied by a photo of a sick child described as having Ebola.
Minister for Information Ye Htut as well as Hmu Zaw, director of the President’s Office, used their Facebook pages to inform people that the rumour was false. They called again for users of social media to refrain from spreading false information.
There have been no cases of Ebola in Myanmar or the region, though fears of an outbreak have caused panic.
At the Yangon International Airport, aside from the heat detectors, the Health Ministry also uses infrared guns in the process which is carried out at all terminals. All passengers showing signs of high fever will be rushed to hospitals for medical checks and treatment.
Yangon International Airport is the country’s main gateway, catering to about 3 million local and foreign passengers each year.
“The heat detector is used to check if any has fever or not. Those with high fever will then be screened again by the infrared gun,” said an official from the ministry who asked not to be named.
“We will record the patients’ addresses and pass them to township health centres, for further health watch.”
He added that as of August 5, the ministry has found no passenger with suspicious symptoms.
Some airlines like British Airways have cancelled flights to Sierra Leone and Liberia. British Airways’ decision stop the only direct flights between Britain and the Ebola-infected area of west Africa.
Between July 31 and Aug 1, 163 new Ebola cases and 61 deaths were reported in some West African countries as Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.
Authorities in many countries have stepped up efforts to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. Airports of Thailand, which operates Suvarnabhumi Airport and Don Mueang Airport, also has preventive measures in place. Nearly half of foreign visitors to Myanmar catch flights from Bangkok.
Heat detectors have been installed at airports, with particular focus on passengers travelling from West Africa.
Malaysia's Health Ministry has expanded the scope of its Ebola screening to cover those arriving from the Philippines, the United States and Britain.
Health director-general Datuk Seri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the screening and monitoring had already started.
He said the measures were enforced following reports that five of 15 Filipinos who recently arrived from Sierra Leone were placed under observation while the rest were tested negative of the dreaded disease.
WHO reported that between July 31 and Aug 1, 163 new Ebola cases – laboratory-confirmed, probable and suspect cases – and 61 deaths were reported in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.
Health director-general (public health) Datuk Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman said his department was working closely with the Immigration Department to monitor those coming from the affected countries.
He said health officers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport would carry out physical examination on suspected cases and those who fit the case definition stipulated by WHO would be quarantined and sent to the designated hospital.
Sungai Buloh Hospital medical department head and consultant infectious diseases physician Datuk Dr Christopher Lee said there were no anti-virals that had proven to be effective in treating Ebola but supportive care would be provided to help patients.
