Mob Storms Ebola Hospital In Congo Amid Growing Outbreak

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

KINSHASA (Worthy News) – Armed youths stormed a hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where Ebola patients were being treated, forcing medical staff to evacuate patients amid rising tensions over strict burial rules during the outbreak, officials said Monday.

The attack targeted Mongbwalu Hospital in the northeastern Ituri province, where relatives reportedly demanded the release of two bodies of Ebola victims for burial.

However, health officials said the bodies remained highly contagious and could only be handled by trained medical teams wearing protective equipment.

The unrest follows several other attacks linked to anger and distrust surrounding the outbreak, including the storming of a treatment center in Rwampara and the burning of a tent belonging to Médecins Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors Without Borders.

EBOLA OUTBREAK WORSENS

Health workers said violence and misinformation have complicated efforts to contain the epidemic, with some families distrusting aid workers and spreading rumors of organ trafficking.

Congolese Health Minister Roger Kamba urged families to allow safe burials, warning that victims “must not drag others into the grave with them.”

The latest outbreak has infected more than 900 people, according to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization.

Tedros described the situation as “extremely serious and complex,” noting that nearly five million people in the region are living amid ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis.

AID WORKERS UNDER PRESSURE

Authorities said at least 204 deaths across three provinces are believed linked to Ebola, while neighboring Uganda has also reported infections involving the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus.

The mounting death toll also impacted aid workers who have fled violence-hit areas, making it harder to trace infections and provide treatment.

Last week, Christian American surgeon Peter Stafford, who contracted Ebola in Congo, was flown to Germany for treatment while barely able to stand on his own, according to two leaders of the Christian missionary group Serge with which he worked.

Dr. Scott Myhre described the emotional scene as Stafford departed for emergency medical care.

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