After the first suspected case of Mpox, the Centre issued an advisory to states and all district administrations and hospitals to tackle the situation.
The advisory includes guidelines on isolating patients, setting up isolation wards, and conducting tests for suspected cases.
Laboratories for testing suspected Mpox were also listed as per the advisory.
However, there seems to be a lack of coordination among the health departments in Gujarat regarding the Mpox outbreak.
Despite over 5,000 international passengers passing through Ahmedabad airport, inconsistencies prevail in the information about the screening facilities at the airport after the advisories were issued by the central government.
On contacting the airport authority in Ahmedabad, they stated the absence of a screening team from the health department at the airport.
While states like Bihar have already started screening international passengers, Gujarat’s health department is yet to initiate proper preparations.
According to the World Health Organization, over 1,00,000 cases and 220 deaths have been reported in 120 countries from January 2022 to August 2024.