An Ebola treatment center with 30 beds in Butembo, located in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, is operating at full capacity. Dr. Rupa Narra, an American pediatrician who joined Doctors Without Borders in August, describes the situation as the most devastating experience of her life. The current Ebola outbreak has recorded at least 6,800 confirmed cases and over 3,310 deaths since May, putting it on track to be the worst on record. Narra’s unit recently lost eight patients in a single week, all under the age of 5. The outbreak is driven by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus strain, which lacks an approved vaccine or antiviral medication. Around 30% of diagnosed adults die within two weeks, while the mortality rate is higher for children and nearly 100% for newborns. Although children account for 1 in 4 confirmed cases, they represent 1 in 3 overall deaths. Medical staff focus on supportive care such as intravenous fluids, oxygen, blood transfusions, and managing fevers or secondary infections. Narra trains local medical staff to adapt this care for pediatric patients, shifting her mindset toward minimizing suffering and reassuring local workers. Because the Bundibugyo strain’s early symptoms resemble malaria, half of the facility’s beds are designated for patients awaiting test results, though surging admissions have forced staff to use quarantine beds for confirmed cases. Caring for children is complicated by the lack of an approved vaccine, making it difficult to find immune individuals to care for the youngest patients. Protective gear limits staff to roughly one-hour shifts due to safety risks. Narra recalls a newborn whose mother died shortly after birth in the unit. An Ebola survivor whom the family did not know volunteered to hold and care for the baby, staying by her side until the child succumbed to the virus after 10 days. Narra previously worked as an epidemiologist during the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak, served as a Brooklyn emergency pediatrician during COVID-19, and worked in Haiti, yet she states she has never witnessed anything matching the current transmission speed and fragile healthcare system. The outbreak centers in the eastern border region near Rwanda and Uganda, where conflict has displaced families to cities like Butembo while straining local health services already battling malnutrition, malaria, and measles, worsened by foreign aid cuts. Staff in hazmat suits with only their eyes visible terrify young patients, and restrictions prevent bringing in toys or holding children’s hands through the night. To comfort a 5-year-old girl in quarantine watching Bollywood movies on her father’s phone, Narra danced outside the child’s window after her shift, successfully making her smile and laugh. The girl’s test results later returned negative, providing a rare positive moment during the difficult assignment.
Source: npr.org
