Unpaid Ebola workers abandon treatment centre in DR Congo
Key Takeaways
- Ebola treatment centre staff in Ituri went on strike over unpaid salaries.
- Patients and relatives struggled to access care as services were disrupted.
- DR Congo has recorded 1,926 Ebola cases and 702 deaths since the outbreak began.
Medical staff said months without pay forced them to stop work, leaving patients and families struggling to access care at the Ebola treatment centre
As Ebola cases continue to rise in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, frontline health workers have walked off the job, saying they can no longer work without pay.
Dozens of medical staff at the Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC) in Ituri staged a strike on Monday, claiming they have not received salaries since the outbreak spread across northeastern DR Congo in May.
Footage showed workers gathered around fires outside Rwampara General Hospital while fences blocked access to the treatment centre. Facilities normally used by doctors and frontline staff stood empty as the strike continued.
"We have been working without pay since the beginning of the outbreak. We come here every day and do difficult work, including handling the bodies of people who died after testing positive. But we are facing serious hardship and do not know what to do," said a member of the hygiene team.
"Why does nobody want to pay us? We will not work today. If we are not paid, we will not work tomorrow either," added an Infection Prevention and Control team employee.
The strike has also affected patients and their families.
Footage showed relatives climbing over fences to reach loved ones inside the treatment centre after access was restricted.
"I came here to see my daughter and her daughter who are sick with Ebola. [...] I am sad because I spent a lot of time and taxi fare to come here. But I have to go back without seeing them," one relative said.
Some staff reportedly began the strike last week, leaving patients inside the facility with little or no medical care.
Authorities said they are verifying the identities of frontline workers to ensure salaries are paid to the correct staff.
The Ebola outbreak was confirmed in DR Congo and neighbouring Uganda in May after laboratory tests identified the Bundibugyo virus. The World Health Organisation declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17.
According to the Ministry of Health, the outbreak had reached 1,926 confirmed cases and claimed 702 lives as of July 11.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
