Mpox scare: Centre asks airports to be alert, marks 3 hospitals as nodal centers

The Union health ministry on Monday asked all the airports and authorities at land ports on borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan to be alert about incoming passengers reporting Mpox symptoms, PTI quoted official sources.

According to the PTI report, the health ministry identified Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital and Lady Hardinge Hospital, as the nodal centres in the national capital for the isolation, management and treatment of any Mpox patient. 

The Centre has asked all the state governments to identify such designated hospitals under their jurisdiction. 

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Last week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the recent outbreak of mpox as a global public health emergency following the emergence of a new variant. 

There have been 27,000 cases and more than 1,100 deaths, mainly among children, in Democratic Republic of Congo since the current outbreak began in January 2023.

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PM Modi's top official chairs Mpox preparedness review meet

On Sunday, PK Mishra, principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chaired a high-level meeting to review India's preparedness for Mpox amid enhanced surveillance for prompt detection.

According to officials, there is no reported case of Mpox in the country as of now. current assessment indicates that the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is low.

"The virus strain this time is different and is more virulent and infectious. But the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is low in the country as per the current assessment," the official source told PTI.

The health ministry has directed officials to enhance surveillance and effective measures to be taken for prompt detection of Mpox cases. It has stressed that the network of testing laboratories should be geared up for early diagnosis of the disease.

At present, 32 laboratories in the country are equipped for testing Mpox.

PK Mishra had asked the officials to ensure that protocols for prevention and treatment of the disease should be disseminated on a large scale, stressing the importance of running an awareness campaign among healthcare providers about the signs and symptoms of the disease and the need for timely notification to the surveillance system.

(With PTI inputs)