In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ebola patients have begun fleeing medical facilities following a series of attacks on hospitals in Ituri province, where the first cases of a new virus outbreak were recorded. This was reported by Reuters, according to UNN.
Details
According to the agency, at least three attacks occurred in the northeast of the country, including two over the weekend. One of the targets was a general hospital in Mongbwalu, from which more than two dozen patients fled following the attack.
Attacks complicate efforts to combat the outbreak
The hospital's medical director, Richard Lokodu, stated that the situation resembles the events during the massive 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak, when more than 25 medical workers were killed as a result of attacks on healthcare facilities. At that time, some local residents believed the outbreak was a fabrication or protested against the ban on burying relatives themselves.
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According to doctors, medical staff are currently not only facing a lack of resources but are also forced to work under constant threat. Distrust of the authorities and humanitarian missions persists in the region following years of conflict and humanitarian crisis, further complicating efforts to contain the spread of the virus.
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