DRC's Ituri province offers free healthcare during Ebola response

In a significant move to combat the Ebola epidemic, the Democratic Republic of Congo has declared all healthcare services in the Ituri province to be free of charge. This measure, announced Friday evening in Bunia, aims to accelerate the identification and treatment of suspected Ebola cases, thereby strengthening containment efforts. The government stated that the free healthcare initiative will also extend to primary care and treatment for other common illnesses, including malaria, a major cause of mortality in the DRC. The decision comes as some health facilities have been criticized for holding onto patients with potential Ebola symptoms instead of promptly referring them to specialized treatment centers. "One of the weaknesses of all responses is that facilities, particularly private ones, tend to keep patients because they pay," explained the Minister of Public Health, Samuel Roger Kamba. "It is often too late that they tell us, 'Okay, go to the hospital now.' Instead of them keeping the patients, we will take care of other patients they have, but send the Ebola patients to the treatment center so we can manage them properly."

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One of the weaknesses of all responses is that facilities, particularly private ones, tend to keep patients because they pay. It is often too late that they tell us, 'Okay, go to the hospital now.' Instead of them keeping the patients, we will take care of other patients they have, but send the Ebola patients to the treatment center so we can manage them properly.

The government will shoulder the costs associated with these free services. Furthermore, to bolster the response efforts, the minister announced a doubling of the bonuses for healthcare workers actively engaged in the fight against Ebola. "I have decided to double the bonuses for providers working in the response, because these are people who protect our lives and ultimately protect our country against this outbreak," Kamba stated. The National Public Health Institute has been instructed to identify all relevant health facilities and eligible personnel to ensure the smooth implementation of this new policy.

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I have decided to double the bonuses for providers working in the response, because these are people who protect our lives and ultimately protect our country against this outbreak.