Abu Dhabi airport to set up screening stations for passengers

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi airport is setting up screening stations for all commercial passengers as a precautionary measure against swine flu.

An Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) official told Gulf News that screening stations including temperature scanners and visual as well as manual temperature checks are being established at the arrivals corridor.

Passengers who arrive from infected destinations already go through thermal scanners. But the plan is to extend this to all passengers in the wake of more and more countries reporting H1N1 cases.

"If a passenger shows two symptoms out of five like raised temperature, obvious symptoms of sickness or reports himself at the screening station, medical staff will escort him to an isolated room for further examination," explained the official.

The screening stations will be manned by staff from the medical services and ADAC Customer Services. ADAC Terminal Services and the Airport Clinic have prepared quarantine facilities in Terminal 1 and in Terminal 3.

"Both rooms are equipped with the appropriate facilities and have strictly limited access only for medical staff," the official said.

Based on the diagnosis the doctor has the authority to release the passenger or send him/her to the pre-assigned hospital for suspect patients from the airport for further tests.

"ADAC Operations will coordinate with the relevant parties to ensure that the impact on the day-to-day operations will be minimised and the flow of passengers will be in accordance ... [with] ... the planned screening point".

ADAC has been instructed by the Ministry of Health and the Health Authority - Abu Dhabi (HAAD) to ensure that arriving and in-transit passengers from specific countries are screened at the earliest possible point in the arrival and transfer flow after de-boarding the aircraft, the official said.

Prior to arrival, passengers are handed Health Screening Forms on behalf of the HAAD.

"It is within the responsibility of the airline to ensure that these forms are filled in prior to arrival at Abu Dhabi. Aircrafts make additional announcements prior to landing to ensure this."

Airport Clinic staff members then check and collect the forms at the screening station. These forms are stored for 14 days.

"Around 52,500 health screening forms have been handed out to Etihad Airways passengers, 3,500 to Lufthansa airlines and 7,000 to British Airways so far. But in case HAAD requires tracking of all passengers of the respective destinations, ADAC will hand out the forms to all affected airlines."

Meanwhile, ADAC has begun even stricter precautionary measures to secure the health of its own staff members.

Measures taken include issuing daily reports, increasing sanitation inspections, sending informative e-mails to impart knowledge about how the virus spreads and how to avoid infection, and giving health lessons to front-line staff.

"ADAC also provides personal protective equipment including masks, liquid soap, disinfectants and disinfection wipes to its entire staff."

The official emphasised that the airport operator is working in close association with the Health Ministry, which is monitoring the developments of the flu along with international health organisations and governments around the world to be able to take the most appropriate measures.

Are you concerned about swine flu? Are you aware of the symptoms and whom to contact for information on swine flu? What are your major concerns?

GREAT JOB! THERE SHOULD BE THERMAL SCANNERS.
Khadijah
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 29, 2009, 15:57

The check up / scanning is not managed well. I returned from Texas by a connecting flight from Frankfurt. The medical staff at Gate 19 let everybody go without scanning just because the flight was from Frankfurt.
Savita
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: May 29, 2009, 15:12