Armed young men stormed a hospital treating Ebola patients at the epicentre of the latest outbreak in eastern Congo on Sunday evening, forcing medical staff to evacuate patients amid gunfire. The attack on Mongbwalu General Hospital was the third in a week targeting healthcare facilities, highlighting the challenges of containing the disease.
Attack Details
Dr. Richard Lokudu, the hospital's medical director, told the Associated Press that the assailants demanded the bodies of two relatives. 'There was gunfire and the medics were trying to evacuate the patients and the staff,' Lokudu said. The hospital was placed on general alert, but no immediate reports of injuries were available.
Context of the Outbreak
The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Bodies of Ebola victims are highly contagious, and traditional burial practices can spread the virus. Congolese authorities have mandated that burials be handled by officials, often sparking protests. On Friday, the government banned funeral wakes and gatherings of over 50 people in northeastern Congo.
Previous Incidents
On Saturday, residents of Mongbwalu attacked and set fire to a tent set up by Doctors Without Borders for suspected Ebola cases. During that attack, 18 people with suspected infections fled and remain unaccounted for. On Thursday, a treatment centre in Rwampara was burned down after family members were prevented from retrieving a body.
Outbreak Statistics
The Congolese Ministry of Communication reported 904 suspected Ebola cases, mostly in Ituri Province, up from over 700 previously. Suspected deaths stood at 119, though regional figures totalled 220, a discrepancy officials could not explain. No vaccine exists for the Bundibugyo virus, a rare Ebola strain that spread undetected for weeks after the first death in late April.
Healthcare Worker Deaths
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies reported that three volunteers died from the outbreak in Mongbwalu, possibly contracting the virus on March 27 while handling bodies in an unrelated mission. If confirmed, this would push back the outbreak timeline.
