Health Minister Reviews Ebola Preparedness in Telangana

Telangana Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha conducted a comprehensive review of the state's preparedness against the Ebola virus in light of outbreaks reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan. During a high-level meeting at the Secretariat, officials briefed the minister on surveillance measures, inter-departmental coordination, emergency response systems, and monitoring mechanisms currently in place. Authorities informed him that special screening and surveillance of international travelers arriving from Ebola-affected countries are being carried out at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad.

Officials stated that travelers from affected nations are being monitored for 21 days, and anyone displaying symptoms is immediately shifted to Gandhi Hospital for isolation and observation. Two suspected cases were previously isolated and tested, with initial reports returning negative results. Their samples have been sent again for confirmation as per ICMR guidelines. The minister directed officials to maintain strict vigilance, ensure accurate collection of passenger information, and initiate legal action against those providing false details. He also instructed departments to strengthen contact tracing, enhance multilingual communication support at the airport, and coordinate closely with health, police, airport, and civic authorities. Reassuring the public, the minister said Telangana is fully prepared to handle any situation and urged citizens to rely only on official information.