In eastern Congo, tensions have escalated after a group of young men attacked a hospital treating Ebola patients in Mongbwalu. The medical staff at Mongbwalu General Hospital faced chaos as gunfire erupted, forcing them to evacuate patients. Dr. Richard Lokudu, the hospital’s medical director, reported that the attackers demanded the bodies of their deceased relatives. He described the hospital’s status as on high alert but lacked further details on the situation.
This attack marks the third in a week on healthcare facilities struggling with limited resources amid the Ebola outbreak. The World Health Organization has labeled the situation a public health emergency of international concern. Handling the bodies of Ebola victims carries a high risk of contagion, often leading to further spread during burial preparations and funerals.
The Congolese authorities have implemented measures to manage the risky task of burying suspected Ebola victims, often facing resistance from grieving families. Recently, the government announced a ban on funeral wakes and gatherings exceeding 50 people in northeastern Congo to combat the virus spread.
On Saturday, Mongbwalu residents attacked a facility set up by Doctors Without Borders for Ebola cases, setting it on fire. This resulted in 18 individuals with suspected infections leaving the site and their current whereabouts are unknown. Additionally, another treatment center in Rwampara was burned down when family members were banned from retrieving a body suspected of Ebola infection.
The risk assessment from WHO indicates a “very high” risk for the Congo region, though the global spread risk remains low. The Congolese Ministry of Communication recently reported a rise in suspected Ebola cases, totaling 904, primarily in Ituri Province. However, the reported death toll figures had inconsistencies, listing 119, while region-specific numbers totaled 220.
The ongoing challenge is compounded by the absence of a vaccine for the Bundibugyo virus, a rare Ebola strain. Ituri’s first death in late April led authorities to mistakenly test for another, more common Ebola strain. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies mentioned the loss of three volunteers in Mongbwalu, possibly contracted on March 27 during a mission unrelated to Ebola.