Entebbe airport tightens Ebola control measures

 All departing and arriving passengers through Entebbe International Airport are currently being screened using modern thermo scanners to detect their temperature levels and also look out for any possible signs and symptoms of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

 Speaking to this publication at the weekend, Dr Samuel Kigula, a port health officer at the airport, said, “Ebola screening was intensified in September when we heard of the outbreak in Mubende. We have all equipment to detect Ebola such as thermo scanners, temperature guns to screen whoever is going or coming into the country.”

 He added that on average, they screen about 5,000 departing passengers and about 4,000 arriving passengers every day and that they haven’t reported any Ebola case yet.
 “We set resting positions and isolation stations whereby if you are found with high temperature, we put you aside to rest within an interval of 10 minutes plus, as we  keep monitoring you and if your temperature persists  being high, we notify Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital where the response team is stationed to come on board  then put you in an isolation centre   whoever we haven’t had any traveller with persistent temperature,” Dr Kigula explained.

“Therefore, I want to assure Ugandans and those using  the airport  that we are safe and we are ready to combat whichever variant  comes in,” she added.
 Mr Vianney Luggya, the manager of public affairs at Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) said their health team is well equipped to handle any emergency.

“We have a port health team that comprises experts and they are working hand in hand with the ministry of health. We have provided them with all the necessary facilities in terms of equipment and personnel, they aren’t doing this for the first time,” he explained. “ So the people using this equipment have the experience that’s required and we have deployed this equipment in various areas of the airport,” he added.