Monkeypox: International arrivals in Delhi showing symptoms to be sent to LNJP hospital; Kerala on high alert

The Delhi government has made Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital, the nodal center for the management of rare viral infections, and has started training doctors there.

Amid strict health screening at ports and airports to check the spread of monkeypox, the Delhi airport will now refer international arrivals exhibiting symptoms of the viral infection to LNJP.

The government-run hospital has been the nerve centre of the national capital's fight against the Covid-19 pandemic since its outbreak here in March 2020.

The sources said travellers having symptoms like high fever, back pain and joint pain at Delhi's IGI Airport will be sent to the isolation ward at LNJP Hospital, which has a special 20-member team to deal with such patients.

The samples of suspected patients will be sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, while the district administration will quarantine the family members and carry out contact tracing of such suspected patients.

The decision was taken in a review meeting chaired by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Monday, a day after the first case of monkeypox was detected in the national capital.

The Delhi government's Directorate General of Health Services said on Monday, "It is mandatory for all health facilities to notify any suspect case of monkeypox to the concerned District Surveillance Unit and must be referred and isolated at the reserved ward of Lok Nayak Hospital in coordination with District Surveillance Officers."

Meanwhile in Kerala, where three cases of monkeypox have been reported so far, Health Minister Veena George said international travelers will have to undergo thermal scanning at airports to check for high fever or other symptoms of monkeypox. In addition to this, health desks have been set up at all international airports.

George said the state government is equipped to deal with a monkeypox outbreak and urged people to be cautious and go for tests if they feel the onset of symptoms.

"We have vaccination facilities in all the 14 districts We have given awareness to our health department workers, especially dermatologists. There is nothing to worry but everyone should be careful and inform the health department as early as possible in case of any symptoms," she said.