A month since the novel Coronavirus scare, the Bihar health department is still struggling to put in place a foolproof screening mechanism for international tourists after Nepal reported one confirmed case of the virus last month.
In a delayed move, Bihar has now initiated a proposal to buy wall-mounted thermal scanners for airports at Patna and Gaya.
Already short of infrared thermometers - the state has 11 and has placed purchase orders for another 87 - buying thermal scanners would be routed through a short tender notice, and it could still take about a month for the government to put them in place, said a government officer privy to the move.
The delay in purchase of thermal scanners was being attributed to the ignorance about their technical specification.
“There were some issues regarding technical specifications of the thermal scanners. We have got the same specification as the Centre prescribes, and have sent the proposal for purchase of thermal scanners to the Bihar Medical Services Infrastructure Limited (BMSICL),” said executive director of the State Health Society, Bihar (SHSB), Manoj Kumar, also the additional secretary-cum-spokesperson of the health department.
The ministry of health and family welfare (MoH&FW) had on January 29 sent two infrared thermometers each for Patna and Gaya airports. However, barely a week of using them at the Gaya airport, an inspection team found that there were sensitivity issues in the thermometers.
{{/usCountry}}The ministry of health and family welfare (MoH&FW) had on January 29 sent two infrared thermometers each for Patna and Gaya airports. However, barely a week of using them at the Gaya airport, an inspection team found that there were sensitivity issues in the thermometers.
{{/usCountry}}“The body temperature of an individual recorded in the two infrared thermometers at Gaya airport was different. While one thermometer recorded my head temperature as 91 degree Fahrenheit, the other in the pre-emigration area displayed 98 degrees. Later, it was found that the erroneous reading was due to low battery in one of the thermometers. Their battery is known to drain in 7-10 days, depending on their use,” said an official who tested the equipment.
“Ironically, the officials using infrared thermometers were uncertain who will replenish the batteries before the Airports Authority of India volunteered to do it, after it found the health officials reluctant to do it,” said the officer.
Over 12,000 air passengers have so far been screened into the state at the two airports, while another 62,000 checked at the 49 transit points Bihar shares with Nepal.
The SHSB has so far been able to procure only 11 infrared thermometers, which have been given to civil surgeons of Bihar’s seven districts adjoining Nepal, besides Nalanda, Vaishali, Patna and Gaya.
These thermometers, however, are of cosmetic value as they are woefully inadequate to cater to the 49 Indo-Nepal transit points in Bihar across Kishanganj, Araria, Sitamarhi, Supaul, Madhubani, West Champaran and East Champaran.
In most cases, the thermometers had not reached the transit points and were gathering dust at district hospitals.
Of the 10 samples the state had sent for tests to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, and the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkata, none has so far tested positive for coronavirus after the first suspect case was notified in Bihar on January 25. Cough, fever and difficulty in breathing are some symptoms related to coronavirus.