Goa
gears up to tackle SARS
Sandesh Prabhudesai
8 April 2003
Goa, an international tourist destination, has immediately
moved into action to identify and isolate SARS-infected traveller,
if found, at the Dabolim airport or even at the Mormugao port
receiving ships.
However, state health minister Suresh Amonkar, a practicing
doctor, claims that India has become immune for such kind
of diseases since similar diseases existed here for several
years now.
He however admits that such kind of diseases were not identified
as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that has registered
around 500 cases so far, with 17 deaths, in 13 different countries.
The tourist state thus is not prepared to take any chance
since charter flights continue arriving in the state while
foreign travellers are also arriving by regular airlines,
besides crew members landing at Mormugao port.
In case of precautions, the state has deployed medical officers
at the Dabolim airport as well as the Mormugao harbour, with
a proforma to be filled in. the state has also appointed Dr
Rajan Kunkolienkar as the nodal officer at the Goa Medical
College in Panaji, with an isolation ward and other supportive
equipment.
"We are planning to shift this ward to Chicalim, in
the port town of Vasco, which is close to both the air port
as well as the ship port since SARS is the air borne disease",
states Amonkar.
While the tourist season ends here only in May, Goa receives
over 2.65 lakh foreigners every year. The major chunk of it
comes from UK, followed by Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France,
USA, Australia, Holland and Ireland, which are some of the
major countries among 13 that are identified with SARS patients.
Dr Amonkar however expresses helplessness in keeping any
check at all the bus stands and railway stations as well as
state borders in a similar manner since many tourists travel
from other metropolis like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore etc.
"The country needs to be vigilant at all the air ports
including domestic air ports", he states.
Being a practitioner himself, he however recalls that similar
kind of symptoms have been identified several times in the
past, though the disease was not identified as SARS. "I
believe most of our countrymen have become immune to such
kind of disease", he claims.
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