Karnataka’s Health Department has identified specialised isolation, quarantine, and treatment facilities in state-run hospitals in Bengaluru and Mangaluru as part of heightened precautionary measures following an Ebola alert.
The move comes after the Union Health Ministry directed all states and Union Territories to strengthen surveillance, hospital preparedness, and rapid response systems. The alert follows the World Health Organization’s declaration of the ongoing Ebola Disease (ED) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
In Bengaluru, the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases has been earmarked as the isolation centre, while the Epidemic Diseases Hospital will function as the quarantine and treatment facility.
In Mangaluru, the Srinivas Port Hospital under the New Mangalore Port Authority has been designated as the quarantine centre. The Wenlock District Hospital will serve as the isolation and treatment centre.
The department has also arranged dedicated ambulances for the safe transportation of suspected patients to these facilities.
Health officials emphasised that no Ebola cases have been reported in India so far. However, preparedness measures have been intensified due to international travel and trade linkages. The public advisory urged citizens not to panic and to rely solely on verified updates from health authorities.
Enhanced monitoring has been rolled out under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), especially for travellers arriving from affected countries. Coordination has also been strengthened with airports and other Points of Entry (PoEs), while Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) across the state remain on alert.
Healthcare personnel are being trained in infection prevention and control, and the government has ensured sufficient stocks of PPE, essential medicines, and laboratory support systems.
Samples from suspected cases will be collected and routed through the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Bengaluru, for confirmatory testing at NIV Pune.
Travellers returning from Ebola-affected countries have been advised to self-monitor for 21 days. Anyone developing symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, muscle pain, headache, diarrhoea, or red eyes has been asked to immediately visit the nearest health facility.
