Angkasa Pura

Efforts to Prevent the Spread of Monkeypox, Soekarno-Hatta Airport Tightens Health Surveillance of Overseas Crew and Passengers

Jakarta - Soekarno-Hatta Airport has tightened health surveillance of flight crews and passengers arriving from abroad and traveling domestically as an effort to prevent the spread of monkeypox.

This health surveillance is carried out jointly by all cross-sectors at Soekarno-Hatta Airport in coordination with the Class I Port Health Office of Soekarno-Hatta Airport (KKP Ministry of Health) and is supported by PT Angkasa Pura II as the manager of Soekarno-Hatta Airport which provides facilities and infrastructure.

Head of Class I KKP Soekarno-Hatta Airport Darmawali Handoko said health surveillance was carried out by visual observation to see if there were symptoms of monkeypox on the crew and passengers of international planes that had just landed at Soekarno-Hatta Airport and domestic departing and arriving ones.

"The main symptoms of Monkeypox are red skin rashes around the face and other limbs and swollen lymph nodes in the area around the neck. In addition, symptoms that may occur
including body temperature over 38 degrees Celsius, joint and muscle pain, and looking unwell. This is different from Covid where fever is still one of the main symptoms," explained Dr. Darmawali Handoko.

Most of these visual signs and symptoms can also be detected when travellers carry out the check-in process to process departures and a second security check after the check-in process where travelers are asked to remove masks, and the Immigration check process when travelers carry out inspections. passport. This includes flight crews who have to go through thermal scanners and visually observe them.

Further, dr. Darmawali Handoko said that if airport officials found signs and symptoms of Monkeypox, they could immediately report to KKP officers and KKP officials would conduct an in-depth examination. If it leads to Monkeypox symptoms, the passenger will be subjected to management procedures and referred to the hospital if necessary.

The Ministry of Health KKP together with all stakeholders at Soekarno-Hatta Airport also carried out socialization related to preventing the spread of monkeypox.

Soekarno-Hatta Airport Executive General Manager Agus Haryadi said that AP II as the airport manager fully supports efforts to prevent the spread of monkeypox.

"International flights at Soekarno-Hatta Airport are currently served through Terminal 3. Terminal 3 is equipped with a thermal scanner that can detect the body temperature of each crew and passenger at the same time. The crew and passengers of the plane when they just land from abroad will certainly go through a thermal scanner. and visual observations. When it is known that there are crew and passengers with temperatures above the set temperature, the thermal scanner will alert the Ministry of Health's KKP personnel, "said Agus Haryadi.

Soekarno-Hatta Airport has also prepared an isolation room equipped with various tools and equipment for isolation if there are flight crews and passengers suspected of being exposed to monkeypox.

Agus Haryadi said that all stakeholders at Soekarno-Hatta Airport collaborated and fully synergized in supporting efforts to prevent the spread of monkeypox.