BUNIA – Healthcare workers at the center of Congo’s latest Ebola outbreak are taking a stand by walking off the job, protesting significant delays in their wages. This strike threatens to undermine efforts to control the outbreak, which health officials report is spreading more rapidly than the response can manage.
In Ituri province, the hardest-hit area among the three provinces affected by the outbreak, healthcare professionals have reported that they have not received their salaries or bonuses since the outbreak was declared on May 15. Many of these workers also expressed concerns about inadequate protective equipment and unfair treatment by authorities and response teams.
“Since the Ebola virus disease outbreak was declared, we’ve been demanding payment for our work,” said Dr. Biensi Kano, a member of the epidemiological surveillance committee in Bunia, as reported by The Associated Press.
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Recent government data indicates there have been 1,708 recorded cases of Ebola, including 580 deaths, making this outbreak one of the worst on record in its first month. This strike occurs just as clinical trials for treatments of the Bundibugyo virus, responsible for this outbreak, are set to begin.
Treatment Centers Under Strain
Dr. Anne Ancia, the World Health Organization representative in Congo, stated that the virus continues to spread, exacerbated by population movements and insecurity. Several treatment centers are nearing full capacity, raising concerns about the ability to manage the outbreak effectively.
The lack of payment for workers has created serious socio-economic challenges, as Dr. Kano explained: “It exposes us and our families to significant socio-economic difficulties and seriously undermines our living conditions.”
In an official notice sent to national and provincial authorities, front-line workers in Ituri indicated they would strike if their wages were not paid within 24 hours. By Tuesday, some workers had already ceased operations, although an official strike had not been announced.
Challenges Facing Health Workers
The discontent among front-line workers extends to safety and security teams, community outreach personnel, and those responsible for the burial of Ebola victims. The government has yet to provide a formal response regarding the situation; however, local officials claim they are addressing the workers’ concerns.
“The closure of Bunia airport is hampering the very implementation of the response, particularly certain aspects of the flow of funds. This may account for the delay in payment,” Akilimali Pierre, incident manager at Congo’s National Institute of Public Health, stated.
On Monday, some workers organized a protest outside the Rwampara Ebola treatment center, lighting tires on fire and causing a brief panic before police intervened. Additionally, health workers are facing hostility from residents, as skepticism about the virus persists.
Desperate Conditions
Dr. Ben Bakule, a community investigator, shared his harrowing experience of narrowly escaping an attack while tracing contacts of an Ebola case: “We spend money on transport to get to work. We thought we’d be rewarded. At the moment, nothing is going right because we’re not being paid. We don’t deserve this sort of treatment.”
Bakule’s frustration was palpable as he added, “We risk dying for nothing. This government wants this epidemic to continue.”
In a visit to the mining town of Mongbwalu, considered a hotspot for the disease, Congo’s Minister of Health Roger Kamba had assured response teams that the government was prioritizing their working conditions. “All doctors, all nurses, and all staff working on the response will be fully supported. We have the money for that,” Kamba said.
However, the reality on the ground appears starkly different for many front-line workers.
“We are doing everything we can to make the public understand how dangerous this disease is. I came here to save people’s lives, but this is how I am being thanked. We are working day and night without being paid,” stated Dr. Ghislain Maneba, an epidemiologist and community investigator in the Rwampara health zone.
The ongoing strike and unrest among health workers has raised alarm among residents of Ituri, who are already suffering from the economic impacts of measures taken to control the outbreak. “I would ask the authorities to resolve this situation before things get any worse,” pleaded Bunia resident Anifa Kito, standing in front of her tomato stall.
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AP writer Constant Same Bagalwa in Bunia contributed to this report.
