‘Poor’ Ebola screening sparks outrage

Travellers have raised concern over “poor” screening of passengers from Ebola-hit countries at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, which they fear could increase the possibility of the deadly disease spreading into Kenya.

Ministry of Health officers at the airport, in gloves and face masks, were on Tuesday conducting rudimentary tests on passengers from West African countries, where an Ebola outbreak has been confirmed.

Kenyans returning home turned to social media to protest at the lack of proper screening at the JKIA and urged airport bosses and airline managers to protect the public from the deadly disease that has caused panic across the world.

However, experts were quick to assure the public that gloves and face masks were adequate in screening passengers. They said full gear, including pace suits, are only necessary when the disease has reached an advanced level.

At its full effect, Ebola causes flu-like symptoms, including fever. In the worst cases, it causes unstoppable bleeding. It spreads among humans through body fluids including sweat, so one can be infected by touching an infected person.

ISOLATION AREA

JKIA’s public health officer Mohamed Duba on Tuesday wrote to airlines operating the West Africa circuit to strictly follow safety measures agreed on by a multi-agency government taskforce.

The airport, a regional hub, has set up an isolation area to help restrict any traveller suspected of having contracted the virus.

Sources at the airport told the Nation that VIPs from West Africa would have to fill a surveillance form, have their body temperature measured and undergo a clinical examination should they show signs associated with the disease.

In his letter, Mr Duba said arriving and departing passengers should be screened to ensure the haemorrhagic fever does not spread to the country.

The examination would affect all flights departing from West African states to JKIA directly or through Kigali and Addis Ababa, he said.

The letter was written to Kenya Airways, Rwanda Air and Ethiopian Airlines. (READ: KQ announces further precautions against Ebola)

DIFFERENT GATE

An isolation area had been constructed at the airport. Passengers from West African nations of Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leona and Nigeria, where deaths have been reported, were using a different gate.

Several health officers were deployed to the area and visitors were on Tuesday being asked to fill an Ebola surveillance form and their body temperature measured.

At the Kenyatta National Hospital, plans to set up an Ebola-specific isolation unit at the Accident and Emergency Centre had been completed.

KHN corporate affairs and communications manager Simon Ithai on Tuesday said any suspected case would be screened and admitted to the unit to prevent cross-infection among patients.

Meanwhile, scientists at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) said the institution’s laboratory had the capacity to test and verify a sample of the virus within 10 hours.