"YOU are EBOLA!"--Courage and Commitment in the Face of Distrust and Anger

 

I had to feature this picture again. These folks see patients 6 days a week at the ISP IDP camp for over 3 years now. They don’t have proper personal protective equipment, but they keep going, sacrificing for this vulnerable community.

An update from: Patrick, Anna, Luke, Miriam and Isaiah LaRochelle Serving in Nyankunde, Democratic Republic of Congo Greetings, Sorry for so many updates so close together. I wanted to send this one more to remind you that we will be putting more stories on our blog, so please be checking there. See address at the bottom. Yesterday Patrick and  I woke up to another poignant chain of messages from our Congolese doctor colleagues at CME-Bunia.  When I asked our medical director if I could share them with you to raise awareness and needed resources he said: “Yes, everything you can do so that the work of God advances, do it!”   Hearing the voices of those on the ground is such a privilege—and often so painful. I want to honor them in publishing their words, and fight for support for them during this time: 4:19am Dr D posts a video of a burning Doctors without Borders treatment center in Mungwalu 4:23am Dr. D: “Good morning, in seeing what just happened in Mungbwalu [burning of isolation tent], yesterday it happened in Rwampara [burning of an isolation tent], and tomorrow that will be us.  This is discouraging, especially when I see all the difficulties that our staff and health workers are experiencing.  I am asking myself lots of questions, like: Should we continue to care for patients who are ungrateful [who might sabotage us like they did in other areas]?” 4:24am Dr. U “This is the result of the thoughtlessness of our leaders. The population is starting to lose faith [in the Ebola response].” 5:22am Dr. L: “Good morning doctor.  I was verbally threatened overnight by the brothers of the patient who died overnight.  They were saying that their sister died, but it wasn’t Ebola.  We are going to see if YOU are EBOLA—because these are lies [about our sister].” 5:23am Dr. PM “I’m so sorry Doctor. Courage!” 6:10am Dr I “It’s so complicated! A catastrophe!” 6:28am Dr I “Beyond all these hits we are taking is the delay of the Ebola response… If only one of our partners could come and set up treatment centers and isolation measures, that would allow us to diminish the risk of our staff becoming infected.  This would really help us!” 6:30am Dr M “Yes, I think our partners are coming from the USA. But now we have the problem that Uganda has stopped all flights from Uganda to Bunia!” 6:31am Dr C “oh no!!!!!!!!” 6:35am Dr M “God is still here with us. Psalm 139: 7-12” 6:37am Dr. N: “Only the intervention of God can help us.  Lord, we are overwhelmed.” 6:37am Dr L “We are really worried right now..  Our risk of contracting Ebola is so high.  Someone just brought in a woman with difficulty breathing, and blood pressure so low it couldn’t be measured.  She is on oxygen.  PLEASE, open the new pediatric building [for isolation of suspected cases]!  6:39am Dr. L “I’m concerned that our doctors and nurses are going to desert the hospital. Please watch over our staff!This is really difficult.” 6:48am Dr PM “May God help us” 7:14am Dr. L: “A patient just told me that they went to two other hospitals overnight, and both refused to hospitalize and treat them. I received him at 12:30 AM.  He is just now telling me this this morning during morning rounds….” 7:35am Dr I “We need to prepare for more of this [hospitals turning patients away and them coming to CME]. This is going to have big impacts on our hospital.  9:05am Dr M “But I’m so thankful to you that they found a welcome here at CME”

The UPENDO staff - those on the front lines at the ISP IDP camp.  Patrick is CME’s new executive director and just returned from residency less than a year ago. Please pray for him and his wife Nono (a pediatrician).  All the CME doctor staff and spouses together in February.