Govt to tighten SARS screening at departure terminals

Sari P. Setiogi The Jakarta Post Jakarta

Authorities are to heighten Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) screenings at international departure points next week, almost one month after governments of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) pledged to join forces to fight the disease.

Ministry of Health environmental health and epidemiology head I Nyoman Kandun said on Monday that thermal scanners would be placed at a number of departure points as part of efforts to boost screening for SARS.

"We will soon install 20 thermal scanners in several entry points in the country. Tomorrow we will start with the Soekarno- Hatta airport in Jakarta," I Nyoman told The Jakarta Post.

ASEAN leaders met in Bangkok, Thailand in late April to discuss efforts to curb the killer disease. At the end of the meeting, they issued a statement pledging joint efforts to contain the disease, including increasing pre-departure SARS screenings.

I Nyoman said the government would also start next week distributing health declaration cards to departing passengers at both international airports and seaports.

The cards would contain information, including the passenger's name, nationality, passport number and flight or cruise information. Body temperatures of each passenger would also be checked by port health officers.

The distribution of health declaration cards would be accompanied with temperature screening of passengers before taking their flights or cruises.

The measures would also be taken by other ASEAN countries and China, Japan and South Korea.

ASEAN comprises Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Indonesia.

The measures were agreed on during a meeting on the prevention and containment of SARS at Clark Special Economic Zone in the Philippines on May 15 and May 16. The meeting was attended by ASEAN members and Japan, China, and South Korea.

A joint resolution issued at the end of the two-day meeting stated that health declaration cards for departing passengers should be implemented in member countries by June 15, while for the temperature screening by Aug. 15.

According to the latest report from the World Health Organization (WHO), the cumulative number of probable SARS cases worldwide has reached 7,761 with 623 fatalities. Most cases were in Asia.

In Indonesia alone, no new probable case have been found so far. The first case was a British man who flew to Hong Kong after being discharged from hospital.

Separately, the government of Japan on Monday provided Indonesia with protective and laboratory equipment to support the government's effort to curb SARS.

The equipment, worth US$250,000, was given by the Embassy of Japan's interim charge d'affaires Shigekazu Sato to Minister of Health Achmad Sujudi in Jakarta.

N-95 masks, basic laboratory equipment, specimen storage and shipping are included in the equipment provided.