Bio-terror threat: Medical labs need to be manned by authorised personnel

The concept of bio-logical terrorism has often been spoken about. With terrorist groups across the world trying and adopting bio-terrorism in a big way, the threat to security has only become grave.

While in India the threat does persist, security agencies have so far managed to keep away forces who are trying to launch biological terror.

There are however several safeguards that need to be adopted while dealing with the threat of bio-terror. Intelligence Bureau reports state that terrorist groups will try and release harmful micro organisms into food and water.

The release of such micro-organisms will contaminate the food and water and could prove fatal for those consuming it.

Threat could be grave:

Several terrorist outfits such as the Lashkar-e-Tayiba, ISIS or the al-Qaeda have been working extensively on launching biological terrorism.

Today if one were to assess the threat of bio terror across the world, Nigeria appears to be the most vulnerable.

A recent report by the Guild of Medical Laboratory Directors states that medical laboratories need to be manned by authorized and licenced personnel.

The report states that if there are unqualified personnel in medical laboratories then the chances of terrorist infiltrating is higher.

Terrorists are looking to launch bio-terror attacks in a big way as the damage is higher and it is an easier option for them. The report makes some interesting notings about the threat of bio-terror.

It states that, if you look at Ebola, Nigeria was very lucky because it came through the airport and through a diplomat and if Ebola had come through land routes it would have been extremely more difficult for us in this country because when the man collapsed the first thing would have been that people would have gathered to pour water on him, and then after that they would have taken him to church to lay hands and pray and everybody who laid hands would have contacted it.

For instance an intern who just came out of school is a medical lab scientists but is not authorized to work on his own because the responsibilities is not there to handle and he doesn't know how to handle that responsibility.

Therefore, the government has to ensure that such things are taken care of, the report also states.

OneIndia News