RECEPTION TENT FOR PATIENTS SET ON FIRE, 18 INFECTED PERSONS ESCAPED

BUNIA, MAY 23 /SRNA/ - A tent used for the reception of Ebola patients in eastern Congo has been set on fire for the second time this week, and 18 people believed to be infected have escaped, said local hospital director Richard Lokudi.

Lokudi stated that unidentified individuals set fire overnight to the tent established by the humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontières /Doctors Without Borders/ for probable and confirmed Ebola cases.

“We strongly condemn this act, as it caused panic among staff at Mongbwalu Hospital and resulted in the escape of 18 suspected cases into the community,” he said.

Another center in the town of Rwampara was also burned on Thursday, May 21, after family members were prevented from taking the body of a relative.

Bodies of Ebola victims can be highly contagious and may contribute to further spread when people prepare them for burial and gather for funeral ceremonies.

The dangerous work of burying suspected victims is being managed wherever possible by authorities, which is met by protests from families.

A burial of Ebola patients in Bunia, another town in the outbreak zone, was held today under strict security measures.

Authorities in northeastern Congo yesterday banned funerals and gatherings of more than 50 people in an effort to contain the spread of the virus.