Gunmen attack Congolese hospital treating Ebola patients over corpses of relatives – National
A group of young armed men stormed a Congolese hospital treating Ebola patients amid the ongoing outbreak Sunday evening, forcing staff to evacuate the patients amid heavy gunfire, the Associated Press reported.
It is not yet known if anyone was injured during the attack on Mongbwalu General Hospital, but Dr. Richard Lokudu, the hospital’s medical director, told AP that the attackers wanted the bodies of two of their relatives to be handed over to them.
There were gunshots, doctors were trying to evacuate patients and staff, Lokudu told the news agency in a telephone interview.
“Mongbwalu General Hospital is on alert,” he added. He had no further details.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared this outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, as there are more than 900 suspected cases and 220 suspected deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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The shooting was the third violent incident in four days at Congolese health facilities amid the rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak, which has been exacerbated by a lack of resources and public health infrastructure.
On Saturday, an Ebola treatment center set up by the humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders in the city at the center of the crisis was set on fire and destroyed by Congolese people who were frustrated trying to retrieve the body of a local man, AP said.
During the attack, 18 people suspected of having Ebola fled the makeshift shelter and their whereabouts are unknown, Lokudu said in a previous statement.
On Thursday, another medical center was burnt down in Rwampara town after family members were prevented from retrieving the body of a local man who was suspected of being killed by Ebola.
The corpses of Ebola patients can be highly contagious, and contact with them can lead to the spread of the disease when people prepare for burials and gather for funeral services.
In response to the outbreak, Congolese authorities have mandated that the dangerous practice of burying suspects be controlled where possible by the authorities, which is met with protests from families and friends.
On Friday, the government said funerals and gatherings of more than 50 people will be banned in northeastern Congo to prevent the spread of the virus.
The WHO said the outbreak poses a “very high” risk to Congo, upgraded from its previous “high” category, but that the risk of global spread remains low.
Last week, Canadian health authorities introduced improved screening methods for Ebola at airports for returning travelers after a person tested in Ontario tested negative for the deadly virus.
Dr. Joss Reimer, Canada’s top public health official, said during a press conference last week that “comprehensive” screening has been in place at Canadian airport checkpoints since Wednesday and includes additional questions asking returning air passengers if they have traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo or neighboring Uganda within 21 days of arriving in Canada.
There are currently no travel restrictions in place for Canadians, although an advisory urging Canadians to avoid non-essential travel to and within the region due to the fragile security situation is already in effect.
Other US travel restrictions are in effect, including for green card holders who have traveled to Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the past 21 days, Reuters reported.
— via files from The Associated Press and Global News’ Sean Boynton
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