WHO warns of bed shortage for Ebola patients in the Congo

The number of beds for Ebola patients in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is far from sufficient, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned. More than twice as many beds are needed, the WHO said in Geneva on Tuesday, adding that they must also be set up outside the province of Ituri, which was the area initially affected by the outbreak. There are currently 59 treatment centres with 1,400 beds in Africa's second-largest country by area, said WHO logistics expert Luca Fontana, following a mission to the Congo. A further 1,600 beds are needed, he said. The number of healthcare workers must also be significantly increased, from 4,000 to 9,000. Official figures show 6,686 people have already been infected in the current outbreak, and 3,226 have died from the highly contagious infectious disease. The Congolese Institute of National Health says 819 patients are currently undergoing treatment or in isolation wards. Training is said to be in full swing, but it must also be ensured that healthcare services can continue to operate outside the Ebola centres. Among others, some of the 1,500 or so patients who have recovered from Ebola are undergoing training. Maintaining a 50-bed treatment centre costs around $500,000 dollars, said Fontana. The protective clothing for carers alone - which can only be worn once - costs $25 per shift. Ebola is a life-threatening disease. The virus is transmitted through physical contact and contact with bodily fluids, and causes a fever accompanied by diarrhoea and bleeding.