THE start of the health ministry’s screening for infectious diseases at the Norman Manley International Airport was yesterday described as a nightmare by several travellers, who complained that they had to wait in long lines inside the quarantine section.

Incoming passengers who were directed to the quarantine area said there were not enough personnel to record their information, nor were there sufficient literature to be distributed, with some suggesting that the ministry was not fully prepared to start the screening.

The Ministry of Health, in a press statement Tuesday, said it would be setting up health stations to be manned by public health nurses at both of the island’s international airports, as part of its efforts in controlling the spread of communicable diseases to the island.

According to the ministry, the initiative was an ongoing effort, but was being strengthened because of the large numbers of people who are expected to visit Jamaica for the staging of Cricket World Cup 2007, which starts next month.

However, the first day of the screening yesterday was anything but smooth.

“It was a disaster,” said a prominent Jamaican businessman who was returning from Trinidad, via the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.

“They only had one nurse writing down people’s contacts and when they started to give out cards they didn’t even have enough of (them),” said the businessman.

“It’s one thing if you want to implement a policy but another if you’re unprepared,” he added.

According to the Kingston businessman, there were about 100 persons on board his flight and the health officials tried to place all of them in quarantine. He said, however, that the effort failed because of the huge backups that resulted.

A quarantine officer with the Ministry of Health, who requested anonymity, told the Observer late yesterday afternoon that a total of 14 flights had landed at the airport, with all passengers undergoing the screening.

The flights had come mainly from the United States, Canada, Trinidad and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The officer admitted, however, that it did take a longer time for persons to be processed and get out of the airport. But he said it was “too soon” to assess the success of the day’s activities.

“Because of the number of persons, it takes a little time to get through but…it was the first time and the beginning of a situation is always more tedious,” said the quarantine officer. Passengers, he added, “didn’t take too kindly to it”.

Explaining the health screening procedure, the officer said all passengers coming from countries on the ministry’s watch list were required to record their names, addresses, contact numbers, the countries they visited and whether they were immunised against the particular diseases.

After that, they are given cards which advise them to keep it for six weeks, to visit the doctor should they become ill and to notify him of the countries which they have visited.

“That will help the doctor, along with his findings, to come to a conclusion,” he said.

The official said all flights were subject to the ministry’s checks, but that flights from some countries received more attention than others. “We are particularly interested in people who have lived or who have visited any country where malaria, yellow fever or other infectious diseases are endemic,” said the officer, noting that some of those countries included Egypt, Gambia, Guyana and Nigeria.

In Tuesday’s release from the ministry, director of emergency, disaster management and special services Dr Marion Bullock Ducasse said the incidence of malaria had declined to satisfactory levels but that control measures would continue.