Feature: From Ebola fighter to survivor, DR Congo doctor vows to return to front lines
Dr. Alex Olela, a Congolese physician who treated Ebola patients, has recovered after contracting the virus himself. He has expressed his commitment to returning to the front lines to continue fighting the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Why it matters
The story highlights the extreme risks faced by healthcare workers in epidemic zones and the ongoing challenges of managing Ebola outbreaks.
BENI, DR Congo, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- For years, Alex Olela fought Ebola from the front lines, treating patients during five outbreaks of the deadly disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Then, in a cruel twist, the doctor found himself on the other side of the battle -- not as a caregiver, but as a patient fighting for his own life.
Olela contracted Ebola at a treatment center in Beni, a city in the country's eastern North Kivu Province, which is also among the health zones hardest hit by the ongoing Ebola outbreak, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
After 16 days of treatment, he was declared cured on Thursday. Having survived the disease himself, the doctor said he is determined to return to the front lines, describing his recovery as renewed motivation to fight the outbreak alongside his colleagues.
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