Congo Ebola response hit by strike at key hospital
Workers at an Ebola hospital in Ituri walked out over unpaid wages as officials reported the virus had spread to two more provinces.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
Health workers at an Ebola treatment hospital in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo went on strike Monday over alleged unpaid wages, halting work at a key facility in the outbreak’s epicentre. The walkout came as Congolese health authorities confirmed the virus had reached two more provinces, widening an outbreak that has caused 702 deaths among 1,926 recorded cases.
Al Jazeera, citing Reuters and The Associated Press, reported that dozens of employees at Rwampara General Hospital in Ituri province stopped working after saying they had not been paid for months. The striking staff included epidemiologists, case investigators, drivers and gravediggers.
Bahati Claude, a health worker at the centre, told The Associated Press that workers did not understand how they could go unpaid for two months. The stoppage brought the hospital’s Ebola operations to a standstill, Al Jazeera reported.
DRC’s National Public Health Institute said Sunday that confirmed Ebola infections had now been found in Haut-Uele and Tshopo, two northeastern provinces. With those additions, five provinces in the country have confirmed cases, according to the latest figures reported by Al Jazeera.
The outbreak is concentrated in northern DRC and is the worst Ebola outbreak recorded in Africa, Al Jazeera reported. The United Nations has said the crisis has inflicted severe economic damage and pushed nearly one million people into poverty.
Health officials are trying to contain the disease in a region where armed groups control some areas as they seek access to mineral deposits, according to Al Jazeera. The response has also been hindered by misinformation, burial customs and mistrust of health authorities.
Al Jazeera reported that some health workers have faced attacks from communities where people believe Ebola is linked to witchcraft. Some bereaved families have also continued traditional burials despite safety rules meant to limit exposure to infected bodies.
The World Health Organization has warned that local, national and international partners need to speed up their response to bring the outbreak under control. The International Rescue Committee said transmission is increasing in areas already affected and that the risk of spread into neighbouring South Sudan is rising as the virus moves into new areas.
DRC Health Minister Roger Kamba said last week that the government was working to fix payroll problems and get workers paid. Kamba said officials had faced problems with changing payment lists, leading some staff to complain that they were working but not receiving wages, and said the government had the means to resolve the issue.
Outside Congo, a second United States citizen infected with Ebola was admitted Monday to a special isolation unit at Frankfurt University Hospital in Germany. Timo Wolf, who heads the unit, said the patient’s condition was stable.
The patient, a man in his 60s, was confirmed Friday to have contracted Ebola while working for a Christian aid group in the DRC, according to Al Jazeera.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.