A group of angry protesters set fire to several tents in a hospital at the epicenter of ebola outbreak in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)after relatives and friends of a young man supposedly dead from the virus were prevented from taking his body for burial.
As confirmed this Friday by a community leader and witnesses, the incident occurred on Thursday at the General Reference Hospital of Rwampara, a town on the outskirts of Bunia, capital of the Ituri province, where a group of motorcycle taxi drivers and young people attempted recover by force the body of the deceased, also a motorcycle taxi driver and son of a soldier.
The protesters rejected the protocol imposed by the authorities, who demanded a dignified and safe burial in accordance with the health measures applied to Ebola victims. Given the refusal of health personnel to hand over the body without complying with health protocols, the situation worsened and the security forces intervened by carrying out warning shots to control the protesters.
Alerted by the area’s chief medical officer, the community head of Rwampara, Zamundu Batagura Mugenyi, came to try to calm things down. “I went there and requested the presence of the Army in Rwampara. We arrived with a captain to try to control the protesters, but it was impossible“Mugenyi explained, quoted by local media.
stone throwing
Local officials and security forces had to retreat from the launch of piedras against hospital buildings and Ebola care centers. The protesters then headed towards the insulation tents where patients with suspected or confirmed Ebola were staying.
“They managed to enter the hospital and set fire to two large tents. All the beds were reduced to ashes. Unfortunately, the body of the Ebola patient who was still inside was also completely burned,” Mugenyi revealed.
Luc Malembe, a local activist and witness to the event, attributed the attack to the poor communication of the health authorities on the prevention and response measures to Ebola. “We need to involve recognized community leaders, whose voice is heard, so that they convey the message that Ebola is real and the population adopts preventive measures. If the population does not believe it, how are they going to adopt these measures? That is why we see that the epidemic is getting worse,” said Malembe.
177 suspicious deaths
A total of 177 suspicious deaths and 750 suspected cases have been recorded to date due to the outbreak declared a week ago in eastern DRC, according to the latest balance from the World Health Organization.
These data refer to Ituri, a province bordering Uganda and South Sudan and the epicenter of the epidemic, and the neighboring province of North Kivu.
However, they do not take into account the eastern province of South Kivu, controlled by the rebels. March 23 Movement (M23), which this Thursday confirmed a case of a deceased Ebola patient.
No vaccine or treatment
The outbreak corresponds to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, whose fatality rate ranges between 30% and 50% and for which there is no authorized vaccine or specific treatment, according to the WHO. The organization estimates that the virus probably began circulating in Ituri two months ago.
Outside the DRC, Uganda confirmed two cases (imported from the DRC) in Kampala y South Sudan conducts additional laboratory tests to confirm a suspected case reported by authorities in the state of Western Equatoria, near the Congolese border.
Last Sunday, the WHO declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern,” although it considers the global risk of an epidemic “low.” This is the 17th outbreak recorded in the DRC since the virus was first detected in 1976.
The Ebola virus is transmitted through direct contact with body fluids of infected people or animals and causes severe hemorrhagic fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and internal bleeding.
