Attacks on Ebola health facilities are intensifying in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Residents have demanded Ebola victims’ bodies, leading to the storming of a health centre and the burning of tents at a hospital. Healthcare staff isolated a deceased patient’s body under strict protocols to prevent transmission, but tensions flared during preparation for burial. Aid groups reported that teams later secured the body for a dignified and safe burial following Ebola response standards. Resistance to specialised handling of bodies has repeatedly occurred, with fear, rumours, and mistrust cited as key drivers. Some community members believe Ebola is a business and suspect organ trafficking when bodies are not handed over.
"Attacks on Ebola health facilities are intensifying in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as the World Health Organization warns the outbreak could worsen in the DRC and Uganda. On Thursday, the Rwampara health centre was stormed by a group of angry residents demanding the bodies of relatives who had died from Ebola, according to local sources. The incident was also confirmed by partners of the Congolese government involved in the response in the area."
"A day later, a tent provided by Doctors Without Borders, also known by its acronym MSF, at a hospital in Mongbwalu in Ituri province was set on fire. Following the death of a patient showing symptoms of Ebola virus disease in one of the tents, healthcare staff isolated the body in line with strict health protocols, the NGO Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA) said in a statement sent to Al Jazeera. It said that while the body was being prepared for burial, tensions flared, resulting in the burning of two tents."
"Despite this incident, the teams were also able to secure the body of the deceased patient in preparation for a dignified and safe burial, in accordance with Ebola response standards, ALIMA added. Health workers in Ebola-hit areas of the eastern DRC have repeatedly faced resistance from communities over strict burial protocols, which require specialised handling of bodies to prevent further transmission of the virus. Aid agencies said the tensions are often driven by fear, rumours and mistrust of medical teams."
"Some people here believe that Ebola is a business, said Gloire Idriss, a resident of Rwampara who witnessed the scene. When healthcare providers refuse to hand over the bodies of those who have died from Ebola, people think they might be trafficking their organs. The Congolese health minister has said the bodies of Ebola victims rem"
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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