A makeshift medical tent utilized during the Ebola crisis in eastern Congo was deliberately set on fire for the second time within a week, causing 18 individuals suspected of being infected to escape, as confirmed by a local hospital administrator on Saturday.
The incident occurred in Mongbwalu, a town at the center of the Bundibugyo virus outbreak, a rare form of Ebola. The tent, set up by Doctors Without Borders for suspected and confirmed Ebola patients, was destroyed by unidentified assailants on Friday night, according to Dr. Richard Lokudi, the director of Mongbwalu General Reference Hospital.
Dr. Lokudi condemned the act, citing the panic it caused among hospital staff and the subsequent escape of the suspected cases into the community. This came after another treatment center in Rwampara was burned down on Thursday when family members were denied access to retrieve the body of a deceased local resident.
The handling of remains of Ebola victims is considered high-risk for transmission, prompting authorities to take charge of burials to prevent further spread. However, this measure has faced resistance from grieving families and friends.
Amid escalating tensions between health workers and the local population, a burial for Ebola patients in Rwampara was conducted under tight security on Saturday. David Basima, a Red Cross team leader overseeing the burials, reported challenges faced during the process, leading to the involvement of local authorities for assistance.
To curb the virus’s spread, authorities in northeastern Congo imposed a ban on funeral gatherings exceeding 50 individuals. The World Health Organization (WHO) raised the outbreak’s risk level in Congo from “high” to “very high,” although the global spread risk remains low.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus disclosed that Congo has confirmed 82 cases and seven deaths, indicating a potentially larger outbreak. The Bundibugyo virus, initially unnoticed in Ituri province, has now led to 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths, with expectations of these numbers rising as surveillance intensifies.
Dr. Jean Kaseya, from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, emphasized the importance of building trust within local communities to effectively tackle the outbreak. Tragically, three Red Cross volunteers succumbed to the virus in Mongbwalu, suspected to have contracted it while handling deceased individuals during a humanitarian mission unrelated to Ebola.
This development suggests a revised timeline for the outbreak, shifting back to an earlier incident in late April in the town of Bunia, the capital of Ituri.
