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Dubai: UAE residents who are obviously ill will be prevented from boarding their flights to guard their health and that of fellow travellers, warns a health official, as Dubai Airport gears up for their busiest summer travel season.
Eleven million passengers are expected to pass through Dubai International Airport from June to August this year, up from about 9 million last year.
Dr Ebtesam Bastaki, Director of Dubai International Airport Medical Centre, told Gulf News boarding personnel have been trained to be on the lookout for symptoms of serious illnesses.
"We don't allow people to travel with infections. We have to ensure no infectious diseases get onboard, especially airborne ones [such as measles]. It will affect [people with low immunity]," she said.
To drive home the point, she said a group of six people with tuberculosis (TB), an infectious airborne disease, was recently prevented from boarding their flight after boarding personnel noticed one of the person's in the group was not feeling well.
The staff referred the group to the clinic, which then sent them to a hospital.
"We didn't have kits to diagnose TB at the clinic so we sent them to the hospital and we found them to be positive for TB," she explained.
Other infectious airborne diseases include measles and chickenpox.
Passengers have also been referred to the clinic for other symptoms, such as fever, vomiting and dizziness, but were found not to be carrying infectious diseases.
"We had one case with a fever and we [checked it out] but it was pneumonia," she said, adding they were allowed to continue travelling after receiving treatment.
Dr Ebtesam said the incidents highlighted the importance of being aware and taking precautions regarding their health while travelling. People with chronic diseases, the elderly, pregnant women and young children should especially take care.
"They should visit their doctor two months before they travel, to make sure they have enough medicines and get the necessary vaccines for their destination," she said.
"For pregnant women, they can travel unless they are full-term. If they want to travel, they need to get a certificate of fitness from their obstetrician-gynaecologist," she added.
The airport saw two births last year, one of them involving a 26-year old Pakistani woman who gave birth to twins onboard an Emirates Airlines aircraft. The woman, who flew in from Saudi Arabia, was not aware of the flight regulation on pregnancy.
Medicine: Keep your kit handy
Dr Ebtesam Bastaki, director of Dubai International Airport Medical Centre, advises travellers to do the following prior to travel:
- Have enough medicines for the duration of your vacation and on you while travelling (for people with chronic illnesses).
- Bring along your prescription or medical report in case you need to get a refill or validation. Some drugs, such as codeine, are listed as controlled substances in some countries.
- Get the appropriate vaccine for your destination. Check with www.cdc.gov/travel for list of vaccines for countries.
- Bring along a first aid kit, with antiseptic bandages, anti-diarrhoeal medicines, water purification tablets and over-the-counter painkillers.
- Get traveller's insurance.
Are you aware of the medical requirements before travelling? Have you ever caught a serious infection from a fellow-passenger? Tell us at letter2editor@gulfnews.com or fill in the form bellow to send your comments.
Your comments
till what month of pregnancy a woman travel on board. can she travel after completing 8months?
hrishi
abudhabi,uae
Posted: June 03, 2008, 08:59
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