Karnataka government has set up a high level committee to monitor the Sever Acute Respiratory syndrome (SARS) threat in the State. According Kagodu Thimmappa, minister for health and family welfare, government of Karnataka, the committee will monitor the SARS cases on a day to day basis. It has already been notified in the three private hospitals in the city - Mallya, Manipal and Sagar hospitals apart from major government hospitals to set up isolated wards and act as referral centers for SARS.

The government of India's review committee will receive the feedback from the State cell once in two days.

The minister's announcement came after meetings with the officials from the health department, Bangalore airport and city hospitals. The SARS committee will be headed by the principal secretary SL Gangadhrappa and consist of officials from the airport and city hospitals besides the health commissioner, additional director communicable diseases, central government representatives ad the joint commissioner of Police.

District health officials will monitor the situation within their respective jurisdictions and co-ordinate with the committee, the minister said. From the government's side preparatory measures are complete as isolated wards and SARS referral centres are set up at Victoria Hospital, Bowring hospital, Epidemic Diseases Hospital in the NIMHANS campus, SDS TB Sanatorium and the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases have been identified as government referral centers besides, Manipal, Mallya and Sagar hospitals have made known their preparedness in terms of staff sensitization and isolation wards.

Stating that not a single case of SARS was reported or passengers with suspected SARS symptoms so far in the city, said the health minister. "The government was taking the necessary steps to face any eventuality. It would also hold a workshop for physicians from the various hospitals on SARS symptoms and possible treatment. Health department to officials however pointed out that there was no proper diagnosis procedure to identify the SARS affected people or their treatment."

"While the State level committee consists of officers from different sections of the state departments, the airport authority has formed yet another committee. They post field workers at the airport and keep a watch of the passengers from all the flights. They will also give us a list of passengers with addresses," said the minister.

There is a high inflow of passengers from abroad as Bangalore being the Information Technology capital of India as lot of professionals are in and out of the country.

Dr. R Kumarswamy, additional director of health and communicable diseases said that any of the passengers complaining of SARS symptoms such cough, sore throat, fever and breathing problems, and who have traveled to any of the 15 World Health Organisations (WHO) notified countries for 10 days will be kept under observation as specified by the WHO. All leading IT companies in the city have asked their employees to quarantine themselves after they returning from Far eastern countries. Passengers arriving from all countries will be monitored for 10 days after their arrival, noted the minister. Meanwhile a temporary examination hall has been set up at the airport as the SARS referral point.