No Ebola cases reported in Telangana, says Health Minister

The Telangana Health Minister assured the public that no Ebola cases have been reported in the state. Surveillance teams are monitoring passengers from affected countries, isolation wards have been set up, and hospitals are on high alert following WHO’s declaration of Ebola as a global health emergency.

Hyderabad: Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha on Tuesday urged the general public not to panic, following the WHO declaring Ebola as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

The Minister, while reviewing Ebola preparedness, maintained that there are no cases of Ebola and no passengers so far have been identified with Ebola symptoms in Telangana.

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As of May 25, a total of 58 passengers from Ebola-affected countries had arrived in Hyderabad at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), Shamshabad and none of them have exhibited symptoms, he said.

The passengers have been classified under Category-I and are undergoing 21 days of home self-isolation. District surveillance teams are actively monitoring these individuals, he said.

As part of medical preparedness, the State government has established a 10-bed isolation ward at Gandhi Hospital. A special team comprising doctors, health inspectors, field staff, and paramedical personnel are on duty at the airport.

Emergency ambulances (108 services) are available round-the-clock for emergency situations and samples from suspected cases will be sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, for testing.

The Health Minister, during the review, directed health officials to ensure continuous monitoring without any negligence.

It has also been decided to immediately transfer any passengers showing symptoms to the isolation ward at Gandhi Hospital. All government hospitals have been asked to remain on high alert and strictly enforce infection control protocols.

Senior health officials including Health Department Principal Secretary Christina Z. Chongthu, Public Health Director Ravinder Naik, Medical Education Director Narendra Kumar, and Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad Commissioner Ajay Kumar, were present.