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Bengaluru, Oct 9, 2010
Two Tanzanian nationalists were detained at Bengaluru international airport after they failed to produce the mandatory vaccination certificate for yellow fever.
According to DGCA rules, any passenger coming from South African countries, must have the yellow fever vaccination certificate. Since there was no flight back to South Africa after the duo landed in the early morning hours at BIA, they had to be lodged in a room at the airport.
The passengers who were not allowed to enter the city, started their trip from Jerusalem and reached Bengaluru via Dubai but had no certificate saying they had been vaccinated for yellow fever. Moreover, Tanzania is a high-risk zone when it comes to yellow fever. As per the instructions, we need to check the vaccination certificates of all passengers who arrive here from South Africa. So the duo will now be sent back to Tanzania by the Sunday morning flight, Airport sources said.
But since BIA does not have a quarantine facility at the Airport premises, the passengers were made to stay at a room inside the airport building. The quarantine facility was supposed to be set up by the state health department, but the project never took off. Reasons such as improper location and the lack of funds were cited when the demand was made for a quarantine facility. When there was a H1N1 outbreak, the state government had made arrangements with several private hospitals in the city which had quarantine facilities, to lodge suspected cases, the sources added.
A BIA spokesperson clarified that the passengers who were detained had no symptoms of yellow fever. A primary health-check was done on the duo, who had applied for the vaccination certificate, but failed to get it before they flew to India. According to the medical officer at the airport, the duo have no fever or health problems, the spokesperson said.
Health department officials admitted that the quarantine facility at the airport was an absolute necessity and said they had not been able to obtain space for the purpose. If the facility comes up at the airport, it will prevent ill passengers from traveling inside the city to reach hospitals, explained an official.
Two Tanzanian nationalists were detained at Bengaluru international airport after they failed to produce the mandatory vaccination certificate for yellow fever.
According to DGCA rules, any passenger coming from South African countries, must have the yellow fever vaccination certificate. Since there was no flight back to South Africa after the duo landed in the early morning hours at BIA, they had to be lodged in a room at the airport.
The passengers who were not allowed to enter the city, started their trip from Jerusalem and reached Bengaluru via Dubai but had no certificate saying they had been vaccinated for yellow fever. Moreover, Tanzania is a high-risk zone when it comes to yellow fever. As per the instructions, we need to check the vaccination certificates of all passengers who arrive here from South Africa. So the duo will now be sent back to Tanzania by the Sunday morning flight, Airport sources said.
But since BIA does not have a quarantine facility at the Airport premises, the passengers were made to stay at a room inside the airport building. The quarantine facility was supposed to be set up by the state health department, but the project never took off. Reasons such as improper location and the lack of funds were cited when the demand was made for a quarantine facility. When there was a H1N1 outbreak, the state government had made arrangements with several private hospitals in the city which had quarantine facilities, to lodge suspected cases, the sources added.
A BIA spokesperson clarified that the passengers who were detained had no symptoms of yellow fever. A primary health-check was done on the duo, who had applied for the vaccination certificate, but failed to get it before they flew to India. According to the medical officer at the airport, the duo have no fever or health problems, the spokesperson said.
Health department officials admitted that the quarantine facility at the airport was an absolute necessity and said they had not been able to obtain space for the purpose. If the facility comes up at the airport, it will prevent ill passengers from traveling inside the city to reach hospitals, explained an official.
