International travellers with Monkeypox symptoms to be sent to LNJP Hospital from Delhi airport: Sources

New Delhi: International travellers arriving in Delhi with monkeypox symptoms such as high fever and back pain will be sent to the LNJP Hospital from the airport, sources said on Monday. The decision was taken in a review meeting chaired by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Monday, they said. The Delhi government on Monday asked district authorities and officials concerned to adhere to the Centre's guidelines on management of the infection, which also state that referral arrangements from airport/port to identified link hospital need to be established or strengthened.

The sources said that those travellers having symptoms like high fever, back pain and joint pain at the IGI Airport will be sent to the isolation ward at LNJP Hospital, which has a special 20-member team to deal with such patients.

The samples of suspected patients will be sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, while the district administration will quarantine the family members and carry out contact tracing of such suspected patients, they said.

"Reviewed the monkeypox situation in Delhi along with CS, Secy Health, DGHS & others concerned. Was apprised of preparedness in terms of medical services, hospital infrastructure, tracing, testing, surveillance & clinical management. Advised officials to ensure all preventive measures. I appeal to the people to not panic and follow all prescribed prevention and treatment protocols," Saxena said in a series of tweets.

In the first reported case of monkeypox in Delhi, a 34-year-old person from west Delhi was found infected. He is currently in LNJP Hospital and will take at least a week to fully recover.

The airport health teams currently screen patients with suspected Covid-19 symptoms and some symptoms of the two infections are similar, the sources said, adding that no decision has been taken yet on increasing surveillance at the airport.

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