When Dr Raymond Kasereka Kamwanga told his family he suspected he had Ebola and planned to seek treatment at Butembo’s Katwa Hospital, they reacted with fear.
Fear and Misinformation
The hospital was seen by many as a ‘death house’—a place where few patients survive, especially those admitted late in their illness. His mother, Masika Ndungo, wept and pleaded: 'Why are you choosing to die at the Ebola treatment centre?'
Kamwanga, a doctor at Katwa Hospital, knew that staying home would likely mean death. The outbreak in North Kivu province has claimed 5,400 lives since July, when the World Health Organization declared it a public health emergency of international concern.
Medical Journey and Symptoms
The first symptoms appeared gradually: a bitter taste in his mouth, headaches, and malaise. After initial tests arranged by an Ebola response team—conducted with limited local capacity—he returned home but felt no improvement.
Butembo lacks rapid diagnostic tools; samples must be sent to Beni, 54km north, where transport can take between 48 and 72 hours due to poor road infrastructure. By day four, Kamwanga experienced severe weakness, muscle pain, vomiting, and diarrhoea.
He gathered family members—including his mother—to explain that he needed hospital care. He then walked alone to the treatment centre at around 18:00, refusing entry through main doors. Instead, colleagues donned protective gear before approaching him and isolated him as per protocols for preventing transmission via bodily fluids.
Treatment and Recovery
The virus is of the Bundibugyo species—there is no approved vaccine or specific antiviral therapy. Treatment remains symptomatic: managing dehydration, vomiting, and diarrhoea in patients who may progress to organ failure or bleeding.
Over 13 days in bed, Kamwanga stayed positive by watching videos on his phone, reading, and scrolling TikTok. When he learned he had recovered, relief was profound. He thanked healthcare workers who cared for him.
A certificate confirming recovery did not immediately ease fears among family members. For 21 days—the incubation period—he lived separately from others in a crowded home with at least 18 residents, including children displaced by conflict. Family members avoided close contact during this time.
Community Impact
Kamwanga now leads outreach efforts to counter misinformation about Ebola. His book, The Price of Saving Lives, began as a draft one week after discharge and is used in community sessions to demonstrate the reality of the disease.
To build credibility, he shares photos taken while ill. Neighbour Kavugho Sifa says: 'We were really afraid… but we prayed for his safety. With God’s help and doctors’ care, we saw him return healthy.'
Despite these efforts, awareness campaigns remain difficult in Butembo. Some residents view them with suspicion—perceiving them not as public health actions but as tools by humanitarian organizations to gain influence or control.
The outbreak continues without a vaccine or approved treatment. The Congolese Ministry of Health reports North Kivu as the epicentre, accounting for most cases. Dr Kamwanga remains active at Katwa Hospital while advocating that Ebola is real—and survivable—with proper medical response.