Telangana Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha on Monday ordered authorities to file cases against travellers arriving from Ebola-affected countries who provide false addresses or conceal personal details, invoking provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act. The directive came after officials flagged at a review meeting in Hyderabad that some international arrivals were not staying at the addresses they had declared.

Key Directives from the Review Meeting

The minister instructed airport officials to warn incoming travellers from affected regions — explicitly and upfront — that submitting incorrect contact or residential information would invite legal consequences. He emphasised that accurate addresses and phone numbers are non-negotiable for public health surveillance.

In a notable operational step, the minister directed that the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) be engaged to deploy multilingual staff at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad across three shifts, 24 hours a day. Languages prioritised include French, Arabic, and Swahili — widely spoken across Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan, the three countries currently reporting active Ebola outbreaks.

Surveillance and Isolation Protocols in Place

Officials briefed the minister that special surveillance is being maintained on all domestic and international travellers arriving from Ebola-affected zones. Screening systems at Shamshabad Airport have been further strengthened. Health details of arriving passengers are collected and their condition is monitored continuously for 21 days.

Any traveller displaying suspected symptoms is immediately isolated at Gandhi Hospital, Hyderabad. Officials confirmed that two suspected cases had been placed in isolation; samples were dispatched to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune, and both tests returned negative. Following Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines, second samples have been collected and sent to NIV Pune for confirmatory testing. The individuals are expected to be discharged if the second round also returns negative.

CCMB Joins the Response

The minister requested the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) to extend technical support to the state Health Department. CCMB Director Dr Vinay Nandicoori confirmed that Ebola testing kits supplied by the ICMR have been received and that testing has commenced. He stated that results would be communicated to Health Department officials immediately upon processing.

Inter-Agency Coordination and Public Reassurance

The minister directed enhanced coordination among the Health Department, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), airport authorities, and the Police Department to strengthen contact tracing. He stressed zero negligence in sample collection and testing.

Addressing public concern, the minister stated that all necessary arrangements to prevent Ebola from spreading within the state are in place and that residents need not panic. He urged the public to rely solely on official information and to disregard rumours. The government, he said, is monitoring the situation continuously in line with guidelines from the Union Health Ministry and the ICMR.