Quarantine centre to be set up near IGI airport
GURUGRAM: The district health department on Friday initiated the process of identifying community centres for setting up additional quarantine facilities for Indian travellers arriving from countries severely affected by the novel Coronavirus. In Gurugram district, an Army camp at Manesar is currently providing quarantine of 14 days to Indian evacuees from affected countries.
On Thursday, the Union ministry of health and family welfare issued a directive to the s t ate, t o i dentify f acil i t i es within the vicinity of 30 airports across the country, where universal screening of international passengers is being carried out.
These quarantine facilities should house 500-2,000 travell ers arriving f rom affected countries, as per the directive. Based on the travel advisory issued on March 11, incoming Indian nationals arriving from or having visited China, Italy, Iran, Korea, France, Spain and Germany, after February 15, shall be quarantined for the minimum period of 14 days.
Considering Gurugram’s proximity to Delhi airport, the state has geared up to identify places where quarantine facilities can be set up.
A list of 61 community centres has been shared by the district administration with the health department.
“We are taking proactive measures for the prevention and management of the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19). Essential facilities, such as quarantines, need to be strengthened,” said Amit Khatri, deputy commissioner.
Chief medical officer, Dr Jaswant Singh Punia, said the team would set up a quarantine facility in four to five community centres after inspecting them properly. “We have traced a few centres i n sectors 9 and 10, which are near the Civil Hospital, for easy transfer of any suspected case. The place needs to have proper ventilation, electricity and water supply. Also, a single dormitory could accommodate five to 10 beds one to two metres apart. Once it is finalised, we will set up beds and other facilities, including clinical examination rooms and ensure availability of PPE kits, masks, gloves, etc,” said Punia.
Currently, the district has a 20-bed isolation ward at the Civil Hospital in Sector 10 and another 70 beds in isolation wards of 12 private hospitals. “People who are asymptomatic are kept under 14-day quarantine while those who test positive for Covid-19 are kept in the isolation ward. Quarantine helps in containing the virus from spreading in a cluster, which, generally, are close contacts of a suspected case,” said Punia.
The department has also received confirmation from SGT Medical College at Chandu Budhera, on the outskirts of Gurugram, of setting up a 300bed facility. Dr Sansar Sharma, dean, SGT medical college, said, “This a national emergency and we are ready to support the health department. We have enough beds to set up a quarantine ward in our institute. Even if we have to defer a few elective cases, we would do that, to provide a good facility.”