More health workers went on strike in Bunia in eastern Congo on Wednesday,becoming the latest group to walk off the job over unpaid salaries at the center of the country's Ebola outbreak.
Health professionals and other frontline workers barricaded the entrance to Bunia General Hospital,saying they have not received any compensation despite working under difficult conditions.
"Since we started the job two and a half months ago,we haven't received anything. We are suffering the consequences because of the community's situation. We save lives in the community,” said hospital hygienist Jeannine Anyie.
Confirmed cases of Ebola in Congo have reached 2,011,including 754 deaths as of Wednesday,according to government data.
A total of 753 patients remain in isolation or in hospitals,while 366 have so far recovered,according to data from Congo’s Ministry of Health.
Contact tracing remains a challenge,with coverage of those exposed still at 67%.
The Central African nation has been battling the Ebola outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus since May 15.
Two months since the onset,the outbreak continues to spread faster than health officials can track despite an expanding response.
At least 80% of new cases are emerging from unknown chains of transmission,the World Health Organization said Tuesday.
Outside the hospital gates,residents looked on.
“What I see are healthcare workers and Ebola response personnel doing good work,but they aren't being paid. As soon as they ask for their money,things get complicated,” said Bunia resident Denis Kpadjanga.
Healthcare workers also staged a strike Monday in nearby Rwampara,another one of the hardest hit towns in this Ebola outbreak,citing similar grievances.
Additional sources • AFP
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