The nearly 100 health workers said the unpaid bonuses were undermining morale and disrupting patient care.
Health workers at an Ebola treatment center in eastern Congo went on strike Saturday over payment issues, disrupting care for patients in the epicenter of the country’s rapidly growing outbreak.
The number of confirmed cases of Ebola in Congo has reached 2,973, including 1,309 deaths, according to government data released Friday in what authorities say is the fastest-growing outbreak on record.
Activities at the Elikya Ebola Treatment Center in Bunia, Ituri province, were largely paralysed after doctors, nurses and security staff stopped work.
About a hundred health workers protested outside the treatment center on Saturday. They said the unpaid bonuses were undermining morale and disrupting patient care, and called on Congolese authorities to settle the arrears so they could resume their work.
‘Unpaid performance bonuses’
In a statement issued Friday, staff said they had unanimously voted to strike from Saturday until “concrete solutions” were found to resolve “two months of unpaid performance bonuses.”
Last week, health workers at Bunia General Hospital, the region’s largest medical center, went on strike over unpaid salaries. Some had told The Associated Press they have not received any payment since they started work at the onset of the outbreak.
The World Health Organization says more than 100 healthcare workers have been infected since the beginning of the outbreak.
The Central African nation has been battling the Ebola outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus since May 15. A total of 766 patients remain in isolation or in hospitals, while 540 have recovered so far, according to data from Congo’s Ministry of Health.
Spreading faster than response
The eastern province of Ituri accounts for nearly 90% of confirmed cases.
The outbreak continues to spread faster than health officials can track despite an expanding response.
The response is being hampered by a funding gap, attacks on health centers, an ongoing conflict in eastern Congo and mistrust among local communities.
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