Ebola patients flee in attacks on Congo health facilities, hobbling response

Ebola Virus OutbreakEbola patients flee in attacks on Congo health facilities, hobbling response“There is denial of the disease within the population, with some members wanting to claim the bodies of suspected and/or confirmed cases,” doctor at one hospital said.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleEbola treatment center set alight in Congo00:44Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 25, 2026, 2:04 PM EDTBy ReutersBUNIA, Democratic Republic of the Congo — Doctors operating on the front lines of the fight against Ebola in Congo, already grappling with shortages of basic supplies, are now also having to deal with attacks on their facilities and fleeing patients as the virus spreads rapidly.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.At least three such incidents have occurred in the northeastern province of Ituri where the first Ebola cases were reported, including two at the weekend targeting the same hospital that permitted more than two dozen patients to run away.Health workers wearing protective equipment gather to disinfect the isolation area for Ebola patients at the General Referral Hospital of Mongbwalu, Democratic Republic of Congo, on Saturday.Seron Muyisa / AFP via Getty ImagesThe attacks recall the widespread violence targeting health facilities during a 2018-2020 outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that killed more than 25 health workers.Some were perpetrated by civilians who were angry about not being able to bury their loved ones or were convinced that the outbreak was a hoax. The influx of money and manpower into an area that had felt neglected during decades of conflict and humanitarian crisis has spurred local suspicions about the real motives for the sudden spike of interest.A similar dynamic seems to be playing out now, said Dr. Richard Lokodu, medical director of the Mongbwalu General Referral Hospital, which came under attack first...