Ebola: PH Airport Screens Passengers

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, with President Goodluck Jonathan and other dignitaries at the Ibadan Airpoirt recently.

Following the confirma
tion of the existence of the dreaded Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Rivers State, the management of the Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA), Omagwa has introduced measures that will help check the spread, particularly for air travellers leaving or entrying the state through the airport.
Addressing Aviation correspondents  last Monday in her office, the Regional General Manager (RGM), for South South, South East of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs Ebele Okoye, said the airport authorities had introduced testing points for passengers to go through on arrival or before boarding.
Mrs Okoye disclosed that the process is being facilitated in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Rivers State Ministry of Health and appealed to air travelers using the Port Harcourt international Airport to abide by the new directives to safeguard the health of the people.
According to her, passengers are expected to arrive the airport about four hours to departure to enable them conclude screening procedure, stressing that any one that fails to undergo the test would not be allowed to board any aircraft.
She explained that forms have been issued to the airline managers after a crucial meeting on how best to screen passengers without causing flight delays. All passengers must fill the form from where temperature readings would taken. We need to do all that we need to do in the interest of the generality of Nigerians”, she stated.
The Regional Manager also hinted that a lot of enlightenment programmes had been carried out when the Ebola virus disease was first noticed in Lagos but with the confirmation of it taking life in Port Harcourt drastic steps had be put in place.
On how the carrier entered the state, Mr Okoye said efforts to trace the airline used by the man proved abortive after going through the manifest of the airlines as he may have probably used a different name to enter the city of Port Harcourt.
She acknowledged that there will be challenges in the process but urged the public to bear the inconvenience  and preserve the health of the people, pointing out there are three checking points.
The Regional manager said contrary to insinuations by the leadership of the trade union congress (TUC) in Rivers State that the PHIA had not done any thing to check the spread of Ebola virus disease, much has been achieved already.