Shouldn’t make the same mistake again

Allowing Bangladeshis returning from abroad, especially the Middle East, to go into self-quarantine poses a big risk for public health. To avert that, the authorities concerned should arrange institutional quarantine facilities for the returnees and make it mandatory, recommended experts.

They said a home-quarantined returnee puts family members at risk of contracting the virus. At the same time, the process is also not socioeconomically feasible, as most do not have living spaces that can follow proper guidelines.

Prof Muzaherul Huq, former Southeast Asia regional director of World Health Organization, explained the flaws of home or self-quarantine process for returnees.

"Many of us cannot follow quarantine guidelines at home. This is because most people simply don't have accommodations that provide separate rooms and bathrooms for the quarantined person during the 14-day period," he said.

Additionally, there is hardly any surveillance infrastructure in place to track whether the said person is indeed maintaining self-quarantine, which renders the whole process doubtful.

As an example, the public health expert cited Vietnam, one of the most successful countries in containing the spread of Covid-19, despite being a neighbour to the first epicentre, China. Prof Muzaherul said Vietnam simply did not allow any passenger to stay in home quarantine.

"Rather, they arranged institutional quarantine for every Vietnamese returning from abroad. For example, a woman who escaped from the airport was tracked and sent to institutional quarantine by police," he said.

Meanwhile, a doctor working at the health desk of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) tested positive for coronavirus on April 23, said Dr Nusrat, who works at the health desk.

Following that, she said, 10 of the doctor's co-workers -- four doctors and six sanitary inspectors and nurses -- were advised to go into home quarantine.

The infected doctor last worked at HSIA on April 15 -- involved in screening 337 Saudia Arabia returnees. He developed Covid-19 symptoms on April 19, Dr Nusrat added.

Of the 337 Saudi returnees, 309 were sent to the institutional quarantine facility at Ashkona Hajj camp, while 28 were allowed to go home after they were advised to be under home quarantine for the mandated two-week period, doctors at HSIA's health desk said.

According to HSIA sources, around 3,000 Bangladeshis returned to the country through special flights since March 16 -- the day the government had imposed a ban on flying of passenger flights to and from Dhaka to contain the spread of Covid-19.

According to the health desk, of the 3,000 Bangladeshis, only 590 were sent to institutional quarantine and the rest were advised to stay in home quarantine.

A FAULTY PROCESS?

Dr Jahirul, a doctor at the health desk, said passengers who showed medical certificates stating that they were tested negative for Covid-19, were allowed to go home with advice of staying in self-quarantine for 14 days.

But officials of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) said there are flaws in the process.

For example, they said 290 Bangladeshi migrant workers returned from Oman on April 24 and were allowed to go home instead of keeping them in institutional quarantine.

"The workers showed a common medical certificate, stating that they are not infected with Covid-19, which cannot be accepted," said Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman, chairman of CAAB.

Talking to The Daily Star recently, he said, "We have strongly advised the authorities concerned that from now on, none will be allowed to go home from the airport if they fail to show medical certificates stating they are Covid-19 negative."

Health experts, however, raised questions about the certificates.

Prof Muzaherul said passengers with certificates stating negative test results may also be infected if the virus is in incubation period.

"Therefore, we should not repeat the mistake we made at the beginning and allow Bangladeshi expatriates to stay in home quarantine, as it caused a disaster for us," said the health expert. "We must take lessons from the mistake."