Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh has put its key land port Benapole on high alert to identify coronavirus patients but its lone thermal scanner is dysfunctional.
Authorities at Burimari land port, on the other hand, lack any scanner and are only asking passengers if they had fever or flu.
Four medical teams are checking passengers for coronavirus symptoms at Beanpole, Bangladesh’s largest land port, with a thermo detector since the thermal scanners screen has stopped working.
“We are after checking passengers, truck drivers and their assistants following the governments order,” said Dr Bichitra Mallick, medical officer at Benapole Check Post.
He said they have already screened 30,196 passengers since January 18. Among them 6,048 are from India and 206 from other countries. We are yet to find anyone infected with coronavirus, he said.
Between 8,000 and 10,000 people use the Benapole land port every day. About 12 per cent of them are foreigners, according to a Benapole Land Port official.
On February 2, the Health Ministry ordered screening of all people coming to Bangladesh from India through Benapole land port for coronavirus.
In Lalmonirhat Burimari Land Port, members of four medical teams are questioning passengers about their health condition while they are entering Bangladesh.
“We have not installed any screening machines at Burimari and Changrabandha land ports as there is no possibility of any Chinese citizen entering the country through these ports,” said Lalmonirhat Civil Surgeon Dr Kashem Ali. He said they will set up screening machineries if necessary.
Medical team members were seen asking passengers if they had cough or fever or if they visited China recently.
Khandakar Mahmud, Sub-Inspector at Burimari Land Port Immigration Police, said more than 600 to 700 people cross this land port regularly.
“We have sent letter to the Directorate General of Health Services but they are yet to take any step to set up thermal scanner at the port,” he said.
Bangladesh has put its key land port Benapole on high alert to identify coronavirus patients but its lone thermal scanner is dysfunctional.
Authorities at Burimari land port, on the other hand, lack any scanner and are only asking passengers if they had fever or flu.
Four medical teams are checking passengers for coronavirus symptoms at Beanpole, Bangladesh’s largest land port, with a thermo detector since the thermal scanners screen has stopped working.
“We are after checking passengers, truck drivers and their assistants following the governments order,” said Dr Bichitra Mallick, medical officer at Benapole Check Post.
He said they have already screened 30,196 passengers since January 18. Among them 6,048 are from India and 206 from other countries. We are yet to find anyone infected with coronavirus, he said.
Between 8,000 and 10,000 people use the Benapole land port every day. About 12 per cent of them are foreigners, according to a Benapole Land Port official.
On February 2, the Health Ministry ordered screening of all people coming to Bangladesh from India through Benapole land port for coronavirus.
In Lalmonirhat Burimari Land Port, members of four medical teams are questioning passengers about their health condition while they are entering Bangladesh.
“We have not installed any screening machines at Burimari and Changrabandha land ports as there is no possibility of any Chinese citizen entering the country through these ports,” said Lalmonirhat Civil Surgeon Dr Kashem Ali. He said they will set up screening machineries if necessary.
Medical team members were seen asking passengers if they had cough or fever or if they visited China recently.
Khandakar Mahmud, Sub-Inspector at Burimari Land Port Immigration Police, said more than 600 to 700 people cross this land port regularly.
“We have sent letter to the Directorate General of Health Services but they are yet to take any step to set up thermal scanner at the port,” he said.
