Airports ‘in disarray’ over coronavirus check

Although the government has taken steps to identify coronavirus-infected persons, different departments, including those at different airports, are ‘in complete disarray’. The measures to check the deadly virus are very weak. Only three thermal scanners have been set up in Dhaka and one each in Sylhet and Chattogram airports to deal with a large number of inbound passengers. The civil aviation and health departments have identified only three coronavirus-affected persons in the country, as the human-to-human contact virus has so far spread to 120 countries around the world.

During a visit on Tuesday night, this correspondent found that there is a severe lack of coordination between the healthcare department and other agencies in providing services to incoming passengers at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Women passengers are the worst sufferers as there is no separate queue to check their health. This vulnerable group is abused by male passengers in the same queue, some arriving women passengers told this correspondent. “The airlines didn’t provide any health declaration card regarding the coronavirus. I am in the queue over one hour with male passengers. It is ridiculous and disgusting.

Many male passengers make rude comments at female passengers,” a female passenger of AirAsia (flight number AK71), who flew from Malaysia to Dhaka last night, told The Independent. Many passengers also alleged that they are forced to huddle together in the queue for hours to get the health card. They fear some of them might be infected if there are coronavirus-infected persons in the queue.

“There is no discipline at the airport. We have to complete the immigration process after getting the health card. Even a healthy passenger may fall sick for lack of adequate space in the same queue. Besides, many passengers were seen coughing and sneezing in the queue,” Habibur Rahman, who flew in from Riyadh, told this correspondent.

The health department staff have been facing extra pressure at the airport due to shortage of manpower and equipment, Dr Shamima, the on-duty physician at the airport, told this correspondent on Tuesday night. It has been alleged that some airlines have not been providing health declaration cards on board. As a result, passengers have to come to the airport and fill up the card. This has been putting pressure on the scanning zone at the Dhaka International airport.

On the other hand, outbound passengers are also leaving the airport without submitting a health declaration card at the respective desk, sources said. Although many countries have already taken measures to prevent the virus, Bangladesh is lagging behind, multiple sources said. There is vulnerability and lack of coordination in the coronavirus detection system, and a solution has not been found in the last two-and-a-half months of the outbreak of the coronavirus that spread from China’s Wuhan.

“We are upgrading the service system everyday. It is not possible to arrange separate queues, maintaining necessary distance between passengers, particularly for women travellers, due to lack of space,” Group Captain AHM Tauhid-Ul Ahsan, director (security) of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, told this correspondent. He said they are assisting the health services department to check the health of passengers.

Some of the doctors and nurses in the health zone were seen touching passengers and checking the temperature without using gloves. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, physicians and healthcare workers should have to take protective measures when checking coronavirus victims.

Collective efforts are needed to prevent coronavirus, Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) director Dr Meerjady Sabrina Flora, told this correspondent yesterday.

“We are all working together. It is not just the health department that is trying to prevent COVID-19. This issue needs to be addressed in a holistic way. We are trying to be better than better every day in providing healthcare services,” Flora said in reply to a query.

According to airport sources, at least 20,000 passengers arrive at and depart from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport daily. Over 73 lakh passengers used the airport last year. The number was 70.74 lakh in 2018, sources said.

JG/SI

 

Airports in disarray over coronavirus check

Although the government has taken steps to identify coronavirus-infected persons, different departments, including those at different airports, are in complete disarray. The measures to check the deadly virus are very weak. Only three thermal scanners have been set up in Dhaka and one each in Sylhet and Chattogram airports to deal with a large number of inbound passengers. The civil aviation and health departments have identified only three coronavirus-affected persons in the country, as the human-to-human contact virus has so far spread to 120 countries around the world. During a visit on Tuesday night, this correspondent found that there is a severe lack of coordination between the healthcare department and other agencies in providing services to incoming passengers at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Women passengers are the worst sufferers as there is no separate queue to check their health. This vulnerable group is abused by male passengers in the same queue, some arriving women passengers told this correspondent. The airlines didnt provide any health declaration card regarding the coronavirus. I am in the queue over one hour with male passengers. It is ridiculous and disgusting. Many male passengers make rude comments at female passengers, a female passenger of AirAsia (flight number AK71), who flew from Malaysia to Dhaka last night, told The Independent. Many passengers also alleged that they are forced to huddle together in the queue for hours to get the health card. They fear some of them might be infected if there are coronavirus-infected persons in the queue. There is no discipline at the airport. We have to complete the immigration process after getting the health card. Even a healthy passenger may fall sick for lack of adequate space in the same queue. Besides, many passengers were seen coughing and sneezing in the queue, Habibur Rahman, who flew in from Riyadh, told this correspondent. The health department staff have been facing extra pressure at the airport due to shortage of manpower and equipment, Dr Shamima, the on-duty physician at the airport, told this correspondent on Tuesday night. It has been alleged that some airlines have not been providing health declaration cards on board. As a result, passengers have to come to the airport and fill up the card. This has been putting pressure on the scanning zone at the Dhaka International airport. On the other hand, outbound passengers are also leaving the airport without submitting a health declaration card at the respective desk, sources said. Although many countries have already taken measures to prevent the virus, Bangladesh is lagging behind, multiple sources said. There is vulnerability and lack of coordination in the coronavirus detection system, and a solution has not been found in the last two-and-a-half months of the outbreak of the coronavirus that spread from Chinas Wuhan. We are upgrading the service system everyday. It is not possible to arrange separate queues, maintaining necessary distance between passengers, particularly for women travellers, due to lack of space, Group Captain AHM Tauhid-Ul Ahsan, director (security) of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, told this correspondent. He said they are assisting the health services department to check the health of passengers. Some of the doctors and nurses in the health zone were seen touching passengers and checking the temperature without using gloves. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, physicians and healthcare workers should have to take protective measures when checking coronavirus victims. Collective efforts are needed to prevent coronavirus, Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) director Dr Meerjady Sabrina Flora, told this correspondent yesterday. We are all working together. It is not just the health department that is trying to prevent COVID-19. This issue needs to be addressed in a holistic way. We are trying to be better than better every day in providing healthcare services, Flora said in reply to a query. According to airport sources, at least 20,000 passengers arrive at and depart from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport daily. Over 73 lakh passengers used the airport last year. The number was 70.74 lakh in 2018, sources said. JG/SI