EBOLA SCARE: Panic as 24 patients FLEE treatment centre – fears of spread grow
TWENTY-FOUR patients have fled an Ebola treatment centre in the Democratic Republic of Congo, sparking fears the deadly disease could spread.
By KATIE HARRIS
Express.co.uk
Thu, Dec 27, 2018
The patients left the centre in Beni when it came under attack by people protesting against the cancellation of Sunday’s presidential election in the city. Some 17 had already tested negative for Ebola, while seven had not yet been tested, according to a spokeswoman for the country’s health ministry.
The spokeswoman added that three patients had already returned to the centre.
Officlals are in touch with 17 others to arrange their return and they have contact details for the remaining four.
It comes as soldiers and police clashed with protestors in Beni on Thursday over the decision to exclude the city from Sunday’s election.
Voting has also been called off in Butembo and the surrounding areas.
The electoral commission announced the vote cancellation in the two cities on Wednesday due to an ongoing Ebola outbreak and militia violence.
However the cities are strongholds of opposition to outgoing President Joseph Kabila and local politicians claimed the move was an effort to swing the vote in favour of his preferred candidate, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary.
Demonstrators ransacked the Ebola isolation centre in the city during the protest.
Aruna Abedi, deputy director of the Ebola response, said protestors also attacked the office of the government agency coordinating the response to the Ebola virus in Beni before UN peacekeepers pushed them back.
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