Dr Raymond Kasereka Kamwanga, a physician in Butembo, checked himself into a treatment centre after developing severe symptoms despite his mother's desperate pleas to remain home. The current outbreak is driven by the Bundibugyo species of the virus, meaning doctors can only provide supportive care because no approved vaccines or targeted treatments exist. Severe infrastructural challenges, including unpaved roads between Butembo and Beni, delay critical diagnostic testing by up to 72 hours. After a 13-day clinic stay and a subsequent 21-day home quarantine, Dr Kamwanga is now authoring a book to combat local stigma.
Key points
Symptomatic care remains the only clinical option because the Bundibugyo species lacks an…: Symptomatic care remains the only clinical option because the Bundibugyo species lacks an approved vaccine or targeted treatment.
Community suspicion often paints dedicated treatment facilities as death houses, deterrin…: Community suspicion often paints dedicated treatment facilities as death houses, deterring infected individuals from seeking lifesaving medical attention.
Surviving medical professionals are actively working to dispel persistent social stigmas…: Surviving medical professionals are actively working to dispel persistent social stigmas surrounding recovered Ebola patients in their communities.
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- Published
When Dr Raymond Kasereka Kamwanga told his family he suspected he had Ebola and was going to a treatment centre in the city of Butembo in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, his family were horrified.
They regarded the specialised unit as a "death house" as not many patients do recover - especially those admitted in the late stages of the illness. His 50-year-old mother was in tears, pleading with him not to go there.
"Why are you choosing to die at the Ebola treatment centre?" Masika Ndungo had asked him.
But as a doctor at Butembo's Katwa Hospital, he knew that if stayed at home, he was unlikely to survive.
This was in July, two months after the World Health Organization (WHO) had declared the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo a public health emergency of international concern. Since then 5,400 people have died and 11,000 have been infected, making it the second-most deadly outbreak ever recorded.
Butembo is in North Kivu province, the epicentre of the crisis, with the highest number of reported cases, according to the Congolese…
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