Dhaka Airport Issues Special Alert for MPox

The authorities of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport have issued a special alert for ‘monkeypox’ or MPox disease. 

The airport also informed that a round-the-clock medical team is deployed at the airport’s arrival channel. 

Group Captain Md. Kamrul Islam, Executive Director of Shahjalal Airport, provided this information via a signed circular on Saturday (August 17).

The notice stated, “Airlines must be vigilant about monkeypox. Any passenger with symptoms of monkeypox should report it to the health department immediately. Besides, passengers are also requested to call 10655 if they develop symptoms of monkeypox within 21 days of their arrival in Bangladesh.”

According to airport authorities, a meeting was held in collaboration with Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Babychak, the Airport Authority, airlines, the Center for Disease Control, and the Airport Health Department on August 16 in view of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) global public health alert on monkeypox. Operations Member Air Commodore AFM Atikuzzaman presided over the meeting.

During the meeting, precautions for the concerned stakeholders were decided. The Airport Authority Health Department has already made arrangements to deal with symptomatic passengers. Apart from distributing leaflets to everyone entering the airport premises, the health desks at the arrival channel are manned by doctors 24/7. Temperature screening of arriving passengers at Shahjalal Airport is done by using thermal scanner archways. Passengers with symptoms will be sent to Kurmitola General Hospital, Infectious Diseases Hospital, and Kuwait Maitri Hospital for treatment via ambulance if necessary.

The meeting asked the airlines to immediately alert the health department if they notice any passengers with symptoms. Passengers are asked to call 10655 if they develop symptoms within 21 days of arriving in the country.

Again, the notification sent by the Department of Health on Saturday (August 17) said that the disease can be spread through natives or foreigners coming to Bangladesh through contact with monkeypox-affected persons.

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