|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 30 March 2003 |
 |
|
 |
News |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Killer pneumonia: BIA on high alert by Shanika Sriyananda Liyanage The outbreak of the killer pneumonia, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), in several South East Asian countries has compelled health authorities to place the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) on high alert with airport officials monitoring arrivals from Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, China and Canada. The killer for which there is no known medication has already claimed 50 lives worldwide. Although no passenger infected with SARS has been detected so far, Dr. W. A. G. Jayasekara, BIA Health Officer said the airport authorities have taken several precautionary measures to prevent the infection from spreading in Sri Lanka. He said that the airport staff, including immigration and custom officers directly involved in checking passengers, have been educated about the disease and its symptoms, and on-call doctors were available round the clock at the airport medical centre to identify the passengers infected with the disease. "If we find a suspect, he or she will be transferred to the Colombo National Hospital (CNH) immediately", he said, adding that though it was difficult to check every passenger, the custom and immigration officers were educated to detect the patients from their physical appearance. Symptoms of SARS include high fever, cold, cough and difficulty in breathing. And passengers from the Far East with symptoms are advised to report to the airport medical centre. Passengers are also educated about the symptoms through a poster campaign, in all three languages. According to airport authorities there are daily flights from Singapore and three per week from Hong Kong. There are no direct flights from China and Canada. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has instructed all hospital directors including private hospitals and private practitioners to notify all suspected cases of SARS to the Epidemiology Unit, which will activate surveillance of the disease at the CNH, Colombo South Hospital and Lady Ridgeway Children's Hospital. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
