Doctor Calls For Psychological Support For Ebola Survivors And Families

After a gruelling recent Ebola infection, Dr Patrick Oparpio, a gynaecologist based in Bunia in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has urged health authorities to offer psychological support for Ebola survivors and their families.

This week, the DRC reported 6,843 Ebola cases and 3,310 deaths – a case fatality rate of over 48% – mostly from Ituri province, where Bunia is situated, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

“I was in a coma for four days, and spent eight days under intubation,” Oparpio told a webinar last week organised by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Information Network for Epidemics, known as Epi-WIN.