Escaped Ebola patient forced into ambulance after search for food

An Ebola patient who escaped quarantine in Liberia to look for food was forced into an ambulance in front of angry residents.

Panicked crowds gathered as the man, wearing a tag showing he had tested positive for Ebola, wandered through a local market in Monrovia.

Health workers eventually caught up with the man and bundled him into a waiting ambulance.

Locals said he was the fifth person to escape from the Elwa hospital since the outbreak.

One resident said the care for Ebola patients was not good enough, with many left "starving".

"The patients are hungry, they are starving. No food, no water. The government need to do more," a woman said.

The man escaped the facility to look for food. Credit: Reuters
Health workers attempted to reason with the man. Credit: Reuters
The patient was eventually bundled into a waiting ambulance. Credit: Reuters
He was taken back to the facility after being caught by workers. Credit: Reuters

More than 1,550 people have died from the virus across West Africa since the outbreak in March.

Liberia has the highest infection rate with around 700 deaths out of 1327 suspected and confirmed cases.