DR Congo Ebola cases surpass 9,000 as fear keeps patients away from hospitals

The health workers at this clinic in northeastern DRC are worried about the lack of women and children coming through their doors. The beds are mostly empty. The staff at Masiki Health Centre in Butembo say the number of women giving birth there has dropped sharply since the Ebola outbreak was declared in May. To all the women of Butembo, I want to say this. We, the health care workers, are not here to kill the population. They should come and see us so that we can restore the trust we had before Ebola. Our role is to provide quality health care to our population. They should not believe rumours. Rumours kill. The nurse says one of the rumours circulating locally is that medicines being given out contain the Ebola virus. The number of Ebola cases has now risen to more than 9,000, and more than 4,300 people have died. Despite the rising number of deaths and infections, Congolese officials say many people prefer to self-medicate or seek help from traditional healers. Masika Faraha runs a small shop. She explains why she avoids the medical centre. We have been afraid to bring our children to health facilities for fear of being taken to the Ebola treatment centre because once we arrive at the treatment centre, someone can die. We are always afraid to go there. That is why we prefer to stay at home. Doctors say avoiding medical treatment has other consequences. The UN warns there's been a sharp fall in routine childhood vaccinations in parts of Ituri province, the epicenter of the outbreak in eastern DRC. And maternal deaths increased nearly 70 percent between May and July, compared with the same period last year. Officials are urging people to seek help before it's too late. They say they're battling more than a virus. They're fighting stigma, suspicion and fearful communities. I'm Abwating, Al Jazeera.