Army sets up quarantine facility in Manesar for 300 students returning from Hubei
An Air India flight was sent to Wuhan on Friday to bring back the Indian students stuck in Hubei province, the epicentre of coronavirus. The flight is expected to reach India at around 2 am on Saturday.
by Shaurya Karanbir Gurung
NEW DELHI: The isolation, observation and treatment of Indians arriving from Wuhan has become an armed forces operation. The army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) have created n-coronavirus quarantine facilities for these people.
The army, based on the government’s directions, has created a n-coronavirus quarantine facility at Manesar for monitoring these students for two weeks.
“Responding to an emergency requirement to create and manage a facility for quarantine of approximately 300 Indian students arriving from Wuhan, China, the Indian Army has acted swiftly and created a facility near Manesar. At Manesar, the students can be monitored for a duration of two weeks by a qualified team of doctors and staff members to watch for any signs of infection,” the army said.
The army will follow a two-step process for screening and quarantine. The Indian citizens will be first screened at the airport, followed by quarantine at the Manesar facility. If any person is suspected to be infected, that individual will be shifted to the isolation ward at the Base Hospital in Delhi Cantt.
The screening at the airport will be done by a joint team of Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) and Airport Health Authority (APHO). During the screening the persons will be classified into three groups. The first group is the ‘suspect case’, comprising individuals with any signs of fever, cough and respiratory distress, who will be transferred to the Base Hospital.
The next group called the ‘close contact’ will have individuals without symptoms, but have visited a seafood or animal market or a health facility or have come into contact with a Chinese person with symptoms in the last 14 days. They will be escorted in an earmarked vehicle directly to the quarantine facility.
The third category is the ‘non-contact case’, who will consist of individuals without any symptoms or contact or who does not fit into either of the other groups. They will also be clubbed along with the close contact category and sent to the quarantine facility.
The facility consists of accommodation barracks for the students, administrative areas and medical facility area. To prevent mass outbreak, the facility has been divided into sectors, each with a maximum capacity of 50 students. Each barrack has been further subdivided into barracks. The population of sectors will not be allowed to intermingle with each other.
Daily medical examination of all students will be done at the medical facility area and all the staff, health care workers and housekeeping staff will wear their personal protective equipment (PPE) at all times. PPE consists of mask, eye shield, shoe cover, gown and gloves. Rest of the visitors and all students will wear a three layered mask at all times.
“ After 14 days, persons with no symptoms will be allowed to go home with their detailed documentation sent to the District/ State surveillance units for further surveillance. Those found infected will be shifted to BHDC's isolation ward for further medical exams and recovery,” the army said.
Samples for viral confirmation will be sent to NCDC, Delhi and patients will be discharged only after clinical recovery and two successive negative samples tested for n-COV. Apart from playing games, watching TV and having meals together within a barrack, no one will be allowed to interact with the members of another barrack and definitely not another sector.
The ITBP has created a facility swiftly near the ITBP Chhawla Camp for quarantine of approximately 600 Indian families arriving from Wuhan. “These families will be monitored by a qualified team of doctors, to watch for any signs of infection. They will be hosted by ITBP. Families and children will be taken to this facility from the airport,” the ITBP said.
The ITBP has created 600 bedded arrangement at its Chhawla Camp for families and children coming from China at the quarantine facility