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).
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, and temperature guns to screen whoever is going or coming into the country.”
Dr Kigula added that, they screen about 5,000 departing passengers and about 4,000 arriving passengers on average every day and that they haven’t reported any Ebola case yet.
The doctor explained that resting positions and isolation stations whereby if you are found with high temperature, you’re put aside to rest within an interval of 10 minutes plus.
They keep monitoring you and if the temperature persists being high, the airport management notify Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital where the response team is stationed to come on board then put you in an isolation center.
Whoever there is not yet any traveler with persistent temperature.
“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.
Mr Luggya added “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,” Mr Luggya assured.
