MONGBWALU, Congo — Dr. Richard Lokudu, who leads the Mongbwalu General Referral Hospital, has received little to no compensation for his crucial role in tackling one of Congo’s deadliest Ebola outbreaks.
Lokudu and his colleagues tirelessly attend to numerous patients throughout the day, often receiving alerts of potential cases even during nighttime hours.
“I have not received my allowance, and what happened to others could happen to me as well,” Lokudu expressed to The Associated Press. “Despite all the infection prevention and control measures we are implementing, we do not know what may happen.”
Health officials suspect the outbreak, which silently spread for weeks before being identified, originated in the lively mining hub of Mongbwalu, located in Ituri province in the eastern region of Congo.
Mining conditions conducive to virus spread
Mongbwalu has become the focal point of the rare Bundibugyo strain. The area draws numerous workers to its expansive gold mines, characterized by muddy gold deposits, narrow shafts, and caves. These laborers often reside in low-income areas and overcrowded camps, with limited access to proper health protocols.
Such conditions heighten the risk of disease transmission, which occurs through direct contact with bodily fluids like sweat, blood, feces, and vomit from infected individuals.
Additionally, widespread skepticism about the disease complicates medical efforts for Lokudu and his team, with some healthcare workers and first responders succumbing to the virus.
“It is one thing to be far away and hear statistics being reported, but what is happening on the ground is enormous,” Lokudu stated. “People are sacrificing their rest and comfort for this cause. There should be recognition that they deserve compensation. These workers should receive their salaries regularly.”
The Congolese government did not respond to a request for comment from the AP.
Minimal resources available
On Sunday, Congolese authorities published new data showing 488 confirmed cases, with 86 fatalities as of Friday. The country recorded 71 new cases on Thursday, indicating “active community transmission,” according to officials.
In neighboring Uganda, there are 19 confirmed cases and two deaths.
With no approved vaccines or treatments for Bundibugyo, Congolese health workers focus on addressing the virus’s symptoms. The government reports at least five recoveries since the outbreak was confirmed by Congo’s health ministry on May 15.
The disease “had a big head start,” according to World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Hospitals initially struggled to identify the specific Ebola strain that had begun spreading weeks before its confirmation.
Healthcare workers face the challenge of managing the outbreak with limited resources, as agencies scramble to provide aid to the area. Initially, there were shortages of essential supplies like masks, gloves, boots, and medications.
“There has been an erosion of the health system,” said Heather Kerr, country director for the International Rescue Committee in Congo. “There has not been investment in the health system, and this has been going on for years.”
Tough conditions for health workers
“During the first week, we did not even have time to go home and eat. The second week was the same. We only eat once a day, what amounts to breakfast in the evening,” said Alice Bamuhinga, a nurse at Mongbwalu hospital.
Despite widespread doubt and non-compliance with health protocols, many in the community are starting to grasp the seriousness of the outbreak.
Asero Jeanne, 52, lost two of her five children to the disease within two weeks. Initially, the family mistook her daughter’s illness for malaria and avoided the hospital based on neighbors’ warnings that “anyone who went there would die immediately,” Jeanne said.
Her daughter passed away after three weeks of alternating between hospitals and home, followed shortly by the death of her son. Jeanne then contracted the illness herself.
“I saw about 20 people die,” Jeanne recounted. “I watched them being taken to the morgue, yet God is allowing me to leave here alive. I thank the doctors.”
UN health agency offers a plan
On Friday, Tedros launched a $518 million plan to combat the outbreak, emphasizing that “containing Ebola depends on political commitment, sustained financing, and the trust and engagement of communities.”
The fight against the disease is further complicated by ongoing conflict between the government and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group, as well as attacks by Islamist militants.
For health workers on the front line of Congo’s Ebola outbreak, the situation is becoming increasingly difficult as the disease spreads more rapidly than their current treatment capabilities allow.
“Despite the alerts we receive and the teams we have on site, we lack the means to travel into the field,” Lokudu noted. “As a result, there are alerts we are unable to investigate.”
— Justin Kabumba and Ope Adetayo
Ope Adetayo reported from Lagos, Nigeria.
