Airways, railways, transport dept on high alert in Indore after Ebola scare

As the Ebola virus scare grips the country, with cases being detected in India, the health department has put on alert the airways, railways and the transportation department in Indore.

As the Ebola virus scare grips the country, with cases being detected in India, the health department has put on alert the airways, railways and the transportation department in Indore.

The health department has issued letters to airport and railway officials and has briefed senior officials to maintain records of people coming from different areas.

"Our main job right now is of vigilance. We have asked the department to maintain a record of all the people travelling to and from the city and maintain their address, phone numbers and other details. We will then keep a track on them," said Dr GL Sodi, in-charge of Integrated Disease Surveillance Project, Indore.

However, at the airports checks on foreign tourists has been increased manifold. "We are keeping a track of all the travellers. But a special emphasis has been kept on foreigners. Their travel history is being looked into, to check whether they have travelled to any Ebola-hit countries," said RN Shinde, director, Indore Airport.

Moreover, the airport authorities have written to all the domestic airlines flying from the city, briefing them about the symptoms of Ebola. "We have made them aware of all the symptoms so that a check can be kept on the passengers," said Shinde.

While, the test for the virus will not be conducted in the city, Dr Sodi added, "If anybody is suspected to suffer from the disease, we will quickly send his/her sample to our virology lab in Pune."