Govt plans to to open new quarantine centres at four international entry points
These designated centres are supported under the government's Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM).
PM-ABHIMis considered the largest pan-India scheme for strengthening the healthcare infrastructure with an outlay of ₹ 64,180 crore. One of the key components of PM-ABHIM is to operationalize new public health units and strengthen existing ones at points of entry like airports, seaports, and land crossings.
The quarantine centres are designed to separate and restrict the movement of individuals who have been exposed to an infectious disease, like Covid-19, but are not yet showing symptoms. These centres aim to prevent the transmission of the disease to others in the country.
Previously, these centres were earmarked for Kannur (Kerala), Bhogapuram (Andhra Pradesh), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), and Kolkata (West Bengal).According to documents reviewed by Mint, this plan comes as the Ministry of Civil Aviation will now build quarantine centres from its budget at Kannur and Bhogapuram airports.
The centres at Chennai and Kolkata airports will be built by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) as part of its airport expansion plans. This means the money previously planned for these four locations won't be needed, freeing up those funds.
'The new locations are important points of entry and connectivity: Amritsar serves as a major land route to Pakistan and a cultural hub; Guwahati is the gateway to the Northeast with extensive regional connections; Bhubaneshwar is a significant air entry point in eastern India; and Petrapole is India's largest land port facilitating substantial cross-border movement with Bangladesh,' an official familiar with the matter said.
This strategic decision was discussed and ratified in the Mission Steering Group meeting of the National Health Mission held recently.
'This proactive approach ensures efficient use of resources and better preparedness for public health emergencies at critical points of entry across the nation,' the official said while emphasizing that these help in containing disease transmission, monitoring and early detection, managing high risk individuals, reducing burden on hospitals, emergency preparedness and providing specialized care and support.
'Even a single case of a novel virus, if unchecked at entry, could spark widespread community transmission and overwhelm local hospitals. Quarantine centres serve as a barrier, potentially preventing such outbreaks before they could even start,' Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, public health expert and Past President, Indian Medical Association (IMA), Cochin.
Queries sent to the health ministry spokesperson remained unanswered.
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