Bali Airport installs 3 thermal scanners for early detection of the Mpox virus

Denpasar, CNN Indonesia —

A total of three thermal scanner units have been placed at the International Arrivals Terminal, I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport, Bali, to detect viruses. mpox or monkeypox which has now been a cause of concern for many parties including the World Health Organization (WHO).WHO).

The General Manager of the I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Handy Heryudhitiawan, said that the installation of the thermal scanner was a form of anticipation for his party in raising the status of mpox as a public health emergency that is worrying the world. or KKM-MD.

He said that the focus was on placing the thermal scanner only in the international arrival area of ​​Ngurah Rai Airport.

“Currently, three thermal scanner units are placed in the international arrival area which is central to preventing the spread of mpox,” said Handy, in his written statement, Wednesday evening (21/8).

Regarding the mpox status upgrade, he said the airport was also coordinating intensively with the Denpasar Health Quarantine Center (BBKK).

This, he said, was to prevent the spread of mpox on the island of Bali.

Handy said that if there were passengers identified as infected with mpox, airport officials would hand them over to BBKK Denpasar for further treatment.

“Passengers who are said to have mpox are first isolated in the BBKK clinic room at the International Terminal, before being further examined at the referral hospital,” he said.

So far, he said, there was no sign of any passengers with Mpox arriving at the airport.

“Until today (Wednesday 21/8) there was no sign of passengers being infected with mpox at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport,” he said.

Before that, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the mpox outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the reason his party had assigned the Mpox PHEIC status was because a new version of this viral disease was spreading in Africa.

“Mpox cases have been found in 13 African countries and a new form is spreading. This is the second time in two years that the organization has issued a warning about this disease,” he said in a press release that appeared on the official WHO website on Wednesday (14/8).

Meanwhile, the Acting Director General of Disease Prevention and Control at the Ministry of Health, Yudhi Pramono, said that based on data up to August 2024, Indonesia had reported 88 confirmed cases of Mpox from 2023-2024.

“The last case of Mpox was reported in the 23rd week of 2024. Confirmed cases of Mpox in Indonesia are spread over Jakarta, Banten, West Java, East Java, Riau Islands and the Special Region of Yogyakarta ( DIY),” Yudhi said in his written statement, Monday (19/8).

The Ministry of Health said that the most confirmed cases were in Jakarta, which is up to 59 cases. West Java continues with 13 cases, followed by Banten with 9 confirmed cases.

Yogyakarta and East Java have both recorded 3 confirmed cases, while the Riau Islands have recorded one confirmed case of Mpox.

Yudi said that of the total cases, 87 cases ended and one case is still recovering since it was diagnosed last June.

“In total from 2022 to 2024 there were 88 confirmed cases, then 87 were recovered, and one of them is currently recovering because it was only affected last June,” said Yudhi.

“In 2022 there will be 1 confirmed case, in 2023 there will be 73 confirmed cases, and in 2024 there will be 14 confirmed cases,” he continued.

Yudhi claims that Indonesia will increase its vigilance and preparedness to face the threat of Mpox spread.

(kdf/children)

[Gambas:Video CNN]