BENGALURU: The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and World Health Organisation (WHO) have asked countries to formulate a new set of safety guidelines for health workers suffering from the impact of Covid pandemic. Recently, WHO released guidelines which countries can adapt. It noted that health workers suffered from infections, musculoskeletal disorders and injuries, workplace violence and harassment, burnout, and allergies from poor work environments.
Dr Vishal Rao, Dean, Head and Neck Surgeon, Department of Oncology, HCG Hospitals, and member of the Covid-19 task force, said that of the five categories of health workers -- doctors, nurses, technicians, administrators and housekeeping staff -- doctors and nurses are the worst-hit. “Nurses who had to be at the frontline bore the maximum brunt. The highest stress, infection, job cuts and financial stress happened in this category,” he explained.
Doctors said Covid exposed the systemic lack of safeguards for health workers. Nurses said many of them fell sick and had to quarantine themselves. The absence of staff and exhaustion exacerbated the pre-existing shortage of health workers and also stretched health systems, which struggled to respond to the increased demand for healthcare. Dr Rao stressed that this is the time to re-understand and check on three financial models of treatment. “Out of pocket model, insurance model and scheme model (basically government or employment schemes). The government should look at the financial and psychological burden we have been through.” Nirmala SN, a nurse at a Covid-designated hospital, said, “None of us knew who to contact if we fell sick. The role of the government, employer, worker and the hospital should be clearly chalked out.”
Doctors agreed that there is inequality within the system. Dr Rao said it is important to understand the economic and psychological impact on health workers, and to reassure and motivate them. “If the impact of the third wave was harder, the healthcare system would have collapsed because of staff burnout. It is necessary that every single PHC and hospital has its own department of psychologists,” he added.