P K Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister
“The virus strain this time is different and is more virulent and infectious. But the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is low in the country as per the current assessment,” an official source said
New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry has asked all airports as well as authorities at land ports on borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan to remain alert about incoming international passengers reporting Mpox symptoms, official sources said on Sunday.
The ministry has identified three Centre-run hospitals — Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Safdarjung and Lady Hardinge — as nodal centres in the national capital for isolation, management and treatment of any patient with Mpox.
All state governments have been asked to identify such designated hospitals under their jurisdiction, the sources said.
P K Mishra, the principal secretary to the prime minister, chaired a high-level meeting on Sunday to review the country’s preparedness for Mpox amid enhanced surveillance for prompt detection.
Officials said there is no reported case of Mpox in the country as of now. As per the current assessment, the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is low, they said.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in view of its prevalence and spread across many parts of Africa.
“The virus strain this time is different and is more virulent and infectious. But the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is low in the country as per the current assessment,” an official source said.
The health ministry has directed officials to enhance surveillance and effective measures to be taken for prompt detection of Mpox cases. It has stressed that the network of testing laboratories should be geared up for early diagnosis of the disease.At present, 32 laboratories in the country are equipped for testing Mpox.