Dozens of frontline healthcare workers at a major Ebola treatment centre in northeastern Congo have gone on strike. The workers are protesting over unpaid salaries and bonuses, adding fresh disruption to what health officials call the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in African history.
The strike targets the Rwampara General Hospital in Ituri Province, the epicentre of the current crisis. Protesting staff closed down the facility, blocked access roads, and burnt tyres outside the gates. The striking workforce includes critical personnel such as epidemiologists, case investigators, drivers, and gravediggers. They report that they have not received any pay from Congolese authorities for two months.
The strike comes at a highly vulnerable moment. The Democratic Republic of Congo is currently battling an outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. Unlike the more common Zaire strain, the Bundibugyo species has no approved vaccine or treatment. Responders are struggling to contain the virus, which has already spread to multiple provinces and has caused nearly 2,000 confirmed cases and more than 700 deaths.
Government officials acknowledge the payment delays but blame administrative issues. During a recent visit to Ituri, Health Minister Roger Kamba explained that the government is auditing response payrolls. The audit began after investigators discovered that unrelated names had been added to payment lists. Kamba promised that authorities are working to resolve the issue so that legitimate frontline workers receive their due compensation.
The strike has bypassed a separate facility in Ituri where clinical trials of two experimental treatments began earlier this month. However, humanitarian groups warn that if the labour unrest spreads to other overstretched medical centres, it could severely cripple containment efforts. This risk is heightened by existing security threats, high population displacement, and widespread public misinformation in the region.
