Ebola outbreak

Patients cured of Ebola celebrate: “God is good – I am well”

The Ebola outbreak in Congo-Kinshasa has claimed many lives, but four out of five infected patients survive. At a hospital in Ituri province, hospital staff and cured patients are celebrating together, writes the BBC.

“We have received mercy, our patients have received mercy,” health workers sing outside the hospital as former Ebola patient Daniel Kitambala is discharged.

Kitambala says he first sought traditional folk medicine, and that he did not go to the hospital until he got worse.

“The disease is terrible. When I arrived, I felt very bad. But God is good, and I am well now,” he says.

Many locals are worried about never coming home from the clinic, and believe that healthcare facilities are the problem rather than the solution, says doctor Richard Lukodu. But now that several patients have been cured, more and more are seeking care, he says.

Red Cross: We have not seen the peak of the Ebola outbreak

The Ebola outbreak in Congo-Kinshasa has not yet reached its peak, according to the Red Cross. This is reported by AFP.

Since May 15, 808 cases have been confirmed, of which 192 have died. The hidden number is believed to be much higher. According to the Red Cross, not enough patients can be tested, which makes it very difficult to know the extent of the outbreak.

– We are afraid that this could last for a year, says Bruno Michon, director of operations at the International Red Cross.