Hyderabad: Sudanese national isolated, shifted to Gandhi Hospital after detecting fever at airport amid Ebola scare
Hyderabad, June 4
Amid the Ebola scare, a Sudanese national who arrived at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Thursday was isolated and shifted to Gandhi Hospital, Secunderabad, after airport health officials detected fever during thermal screening of international passengers, according to a Gandhi Hospital official.
The samples of the patient have been collected and have been sent to the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) for testing. The patient is doing fine now, and the fever has come down. We are waiting for reports. The patient had come to Hyderabad for knee surgery in a private hospital.
Earlier on Tuesday, India delivered critical medical aid to Uganda in the wake of the Ebola virus outbreak via the C-17 Globemaster III of the Indian Air Force. Sharing visuals of the immediate medical assistance provided by India, the Indian Air Force underlined in a post on X how the mission demonstrates its response capabilities during humanitarian contingencies.
"An IAF C-17 Globemaster-III airlifted critical medical aid from New Delhi to Uganda on 02 Jun 26 to combat the Ebola virus outbreak," it said.
India has extended urgent medical assistance to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to support their Ebola response efforts in response to a request received from the African Union Commission.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday said in a statement that India's support is tailored to meet the needs of the Africa CDC to contain the Ebola outbreak in some parts of Africa, and to strengthen public health preparedness and regional response capacities.
The MEA informed that as an urgent response, the first tranche of about 2.5 tons of urgent medical supplies was dispatched on May 24 to Kampala, Uganda, comprising protective gear, medical monitoring equipment, essential medicines and supplements.
After receiving a more detailed list of requirements from Africa CDC, MEA has now mobilised a larger second tranche of 43 tons, comprising protective gear, diagnostic and monitoring devices, sample transport kits, infection prevention supplies, medicines and supplements. The second tranche will be reaching Kampala on 2 June 2026 and handed over to the Africa CDC.
Meanwhile, New Delhi has reiterated that it remains in close contact with African health authorities and stands ready to deploy subsequent tranches of medical and logistical assistance as the situation evolves.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I'm glad our airport health teams are doing thermal screening properly. But I wonder why a patient from Sudan would travel all the way to Hyderabad for knee surgery - there must be good doctors and facilities in India that attract international patients. That says something about our healthcare system! 😊
India sending 43 tons of medical aid to Uganda is impressive. It shows India's commitment to global health security. The speed of response - from May 24 to June 2 - is remarkable. This is what "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" (world is one family) looks like in action.
While I appreciate India's humanitarian response, I hope the government is also allocating sufficient resources for domestic healthcare infrastructure. We need to balance helping others with strengthening our own hospitals, especially in rural areas where basic facilities are still lacking.
The fact that the patient's fever came down after being admitted is reassuring. Hopefully the CCMB tests come back negative. India's biosafety labs at CCMB are world-class - they handle such testing with great precision. We should be proud of our scientific capabilities! 🇮🇳
I appreciate the thermal screening at Hyderabad airport, but we need similar vigilance at all international airports across India - Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata. One case can slip through if we're not thorough everywhere. Better to be safe than sorry. ✈️
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