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Local airports on high alert against MERS
Imminent danger: An officer at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, checks on Friday a thermal scanner that will be used to examine the body temperature of returning haj pilgrims for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) Corona virus
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Imminent danger:: An officer at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, checks on Friday a thermal scanner that will be used to examine the body temperature of returning haj pilgrims for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) Corona virus .Indonesia is on high alert after MERS reached Thailand, which is only three hoursâ flight from Jakarta. (Antara/Rivan Awal Lingga) (MERS) Corona virus .Indonesia is on high alert after MERS reached Thailand, which is only three hoursâ flight from Jakarta. (Antara/Rivan Awal Lingga)
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span class="inline inline-center">Imminent danger: An officer at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, checks on Friday a thermal scanner that will be used to examine the body temperature of returning haj pilgrims for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) Corona virus .Indonesia is on high alert after MERS reached Thailand, which is only three hours' flight from Jakarta. (Antara/Rivan Awal Lingga)
In anticipating outbreaks of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in several countries, the Health Ministry has launched a nationwide operation to prevent the disease from spreading in Indonesia.
Special attention is being given to passengers arriving from the Middle East and South Korea. During Ramadhan, tens of thousands of Indonesians travel to Saudi Arabia on umrah (minor pilgrimage). After Idul Fitri, about 170,000 haj pilgrims will also travel there to honor their religious obligations.
Meanwhile, South Korea is also a popular destination for Indonesian tourists, and the number of South Koreans visiting Indonesia is also on the rise.
With full cooperation from state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II, the ministry has set up detection equipment at major international airports in Indonesia.
'It is very important for the health sector to ensure prevention and detection as early as possible if a case arrived at state gateways,' Health Minister Nila F. Moeloek said at a press conference at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Friday.
According to the minister, the government has installed a thermo scanner at the airport exit gate. Apart from that, the government has provided health alert cards [HAC] for airlines to distribute to passengers.
'We have also advised umrah and haj travel agencies, telling them to take extra care with their clients during their stay in Saudi Arabia,' the minister remarked.
The minister noted that besides the two countries, the government was also paying attention to travelers from China and Thailand as they also faced the disease.
She added that all 13 international airports in Indonesia had thermo scanners to detect anyone with the illness arriving in the country.
Hundreds of religious travelers and tourists from Saudi Arabia walked past a thermo scanner installed on the airport arrival hall's ceiling.
Meanwhile, Leni, a 55-year-old Lampung resident who had just landed from umrah in Saudi Arabia, said she was given a health alert card by a flight attendant before landing.
'We were told to keep it and show it to the doctor should something happen to us within two weeks,' she told The Jakarta Post.
Leni said she did not know about the disease until a friend informed her.
'Neither the tour agent nor the air crew told us the news prior to leaving Jakarta or during our time in Saudi Arabia. We also seldom wore face masks there because it was so hot,' she said.
Separately, Sutjipto, the head of environmental risk control at the airport health office, said the airport had installed thermo scanners years ago and turned them on during outbreaks of deadly diseases.
'The machine detects people's temperatures of above 38 degrees Celsius,' he said.
In the event of the scanner detecting a high temperature, paramedics examine the passenger to check for MERS symptoms, such as fever, cough and difficulty breathing. If symptoms are present, the passenger is transferred to a hospital.
Passengers are also required to keep their HAC to show to medical staff should they develop symptoms within 14 days of their arrival, Sutjipto added. (rbk)
