Ahmedabad/Gandhinagar, May 27 (IANS) Gujarat health authorities have quarantined four people, including a businessman who recently arrived from Africa, as a precautionary measure amid heightened surveillance over Ebola outbreaks reported in Uganda and Congo, State Health Minister Praful Pansheriya said on Wednesday.
The Minister said a 37-year-old businessman identified as Amori Lokola arrived in Mumbai around five to seven days ago before travelling to Vadodara.
After the businessman developed a fever in Vadodara, he was admitted to Banker Hospital.
Following information received by the state Health department, he was shifted to Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where a separate Ebola isolation ward has been set up.
“Currently, patients are being reported in African countries such as Uganda and Congo and the virus is spreading there. The World Health Organisation has issued specific guidelines to countries across the world,” Minister Pansheriya said.
He added that two other individuals who travelled with Lokola, identified as Patrick Kaja and Valentin Jodel, had also been admitted to separate isolation wards at the SVP Hospital in Ahmedabad.
A doctor who came into professional contact with them, Dr. Sunil Musana, has also been quarantined as a precaution.
“No kind of confirmation has been received yet, so there is no need to panic. It has not been confirmed that this is a case of Ebola virus,” the Minister said.
He added that the patients would remain under quarantine for 10 to 11 days and that blood samples had been sent to Pune for testing.
“We will know once the reports arrive. Earlier too, we had quarantined another such individual and sent samples for testing, but that report came back negative,” he said.
Minister Pansheriya stressed that there was “not a single confirmed Ebola case in Gujarat or India” and said the measures were purely precautionary because the individuals had arrived from affected countries.
“Only as part of precautionary measures, if any patient arriving from those countries has mild fever, cold or cough, we are maintaining strict vigilance so that the infection does not spread elsewhere,” he said.
The Minister added that the patients were stable and under medical supervision.
“The patient is completely safe, his temperature is under control, and people associated with him have absolutely no problems. Even then, we have quarantined them at SVP Hospital,” he said.
The development comes as Gujarat intensifies preparedness measures following Ebola cases reported in parts of Africa.
The state government has operationalised a 32-bed isolation facility at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and a 10-bed isolation ward at Surat Civil Hospital for suspected Ebola patients.
A separate 60-bed isolation ward has also been established at SVP Hospital in Ahmedabad for passengers arriving from affected countries.
Health authorities have stepped up screening at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) for passengers arriving from Uganda, Congo and South Sudan.
Screening is being carried out daily in line with Union government guidelines, while airlines operating international services have been directed to ensure submission of self-declaration forms and make in-flight health announcements before arrival.
Minister Pansheriya urged people not to spread rumours or misinformation through social media and advised citizens to approach government hospitals, medical colleges, primary health centres and community health centres if they experience symptoms or require medical guidance.
“Since they have come from Uganda and Congo, we are evaluating them as suspected cases. It has still not been confirmed whether they have Ebola virus or not, so there is no need to panic,” he said.
–IANS
mys/khz
