Dozens of health workers at epicenter of Congo’s Ebola outbreak protest lack of payment

BUNIA, Congo (AP) — Dozens of health workers working at the epicenter of Congo’s Ebola outbreak staged protests Thursday to demand payment for their wages, abandoning several health facilities and disrupting care in the world’s fastest-growing Ebola outbreak.

The health workers are protesting at the governor’s office in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, which accounts for nearly 90% of the Ebola cases in the country. They are the latest group to walk off their jobs since protests over pay issues began weeks ago.

The health workers, including nurses providing critical care to Ebola patients, said they haven’t received wages and bonuses for their work fighting Ebola since the outbreak was declared in mid-May.