Karnataka Strengthens Ebola Preparedness After WHO Global Health Emergency Alert
State health authorities activate isolation and quarantine facilities in Bengaluru and Mangaluru while enhancing surveillance measures across Karnataka.
The Karnataka Health Department has stepped up precautionary measures against Ebola following the World Health Organization’s declaration of the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Although no Ebola cases have been reported in India so far, state health officials said preparedness has been intensified because of international travel and trade connections.
Following directions from the Union Health Ministry, Karnataka has strengthened disease surveillance, hospital readiness, and emergency response systems across the state.
In Bengaluru, the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases has been identified as the dedicated isolation centre for suspected Ebola patients. The Epidemic Diseases Hospital has been designated as the quarantine and treatment facility.
In Mangaluru, the Srinivas Port Hospital under the New Mangalore Port Authority will function as the quarantine centre, while Wenlock District Hospital has been prepared as the isolation and treatment facility.
Authorities have also arranged special ambulances for the safe transport of suspected patients to the designated hospitals.
Health officials said monitoring has been intensified under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, especially for travellers arriving from countries affected by the outbreak. Coordination with airports and other entry points has also been strengthened, while Rapid Response Teams across Karnataka remain on alert.
The department said healthcare workers are undergoing training in infection prevention and control measures. Adequate stocks of personal protective equipment, medicines, and laboratory support systems have also been arranged.
Samples from suspected Ebola cases in Karnataka will be collected and routed through the National Institute of Virology laboratory in Bengaluru before confirmatory testing at the National Institute of Virology in Pune.
The government has advised travellers returning from Ebola affected countries to monitor their health for 21 days. Anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache, diarrhoea, or red eyes has been urged to seek medical attention immediately.