Thermal scanner placed at airports

JAKARTA: The Ministry of Health has installed a thermal scanner at the Terminal D international arrival hall of Soekarno- Hatta International Airport.

The secretary to the Directorate General of Communicable Diseases and Environmental Health (P2M), Syafii Anwar, said on Tuesday the equipment would be fully operational sometime next week after several trials had been carried out.

Thermal scanners will also be placed at: Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali; Juanda Airport in Surabaya, East Java; Polonia Airport in Medan, North Sumatra; and Hang Nadim International Airport in Batam.

The new device is part of the government's campaign against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

Syafii said the government also planned to distribute pre- departure health declaration cards for passengers, which would be distributed with every ticket purchase.

"We will cooperate with airlines and travel agents through their associations," he said, "and make sure that all passengers fill the card before boarding their flights." -- JP