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Protesters caused a blaze at a health facility treating Ebola patients in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Thursday, burning down two hospital tents, a local politician told CNN.
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Tensions flared Thursday when the relatives of a young man who died of Ebola tried to take his body “by force†from the Rwampara Hospital, according to Luc Mambele, vice president of Congolese political party A2RC.
A lethal Ebola strain has ripped through local communities in the area, triggering a global health emergency. Tests show that the Bundibugyo strain — which has no specific treatment or vaccine — is behind the outbreak. The DRC said Thursday that at least 160 deaths are thought to be linked to the disease. The government said there were 13 new confirmed cases Thursday, and a further 78 suspected cases in Ituri province.
After health authorities refused access to the young man’s body, family members responded by lobbing projectiles at the hospital tents, causing a fire to break out, the local official said.
Six patients were receiving treatment in the medical tents from the Alliance for International Medical Action at the time of the attack and are now being cared for in the hospital, ALIMA said in a statement.
The medical humanitarian organization warned against the spread of “incorrect or unconfirmed information circulating on social media and the internet,†which is likely to fuel fear, misinformation and mistrust toward health facilities.
In a video shared with CNN, Mambele describes being locked down at the hospital as police fire warning shots to disperse protesters from the burning tents.
Video from Reuters news agency showed a large blaze engulfing the medical tents, with their scorched frames standing over blackened hospital beds in the aftermath of the attack.
Officers from the national police force who were deployed to the scene worked swiftly to restore order, Mambele told CNN.
A[b] spokesperson for the DRC, Patrick Muyaya, condemned the attack, telling CNN that the locals responded by doing “exactly what they shouldn’t do.â€
[/b]
Mambele said the incident exemplified the dangers of rising misinformation within the community. Many residents in Ituri province believe that “Ebola is a lie,†he told CNN.
“The population is not sufficiently informed or made aware of what is happening. To members of the most remote communities, Ebola is a White man’s invention; it doesn’t exist,†Mambele remarked.
The World Health Organization has officially declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern,†but global risks remain low.
While only 64 Ebola cases have been officially confirmed, 671 cases are suspected, the DRC said Thursday. Health officials are also tracking more than 1,260 contacts in the country.
