Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on health care workers (HCWs) in Sindh Province of Pakistan

Health Research Policy and Systems

Research

Muhammad Qasim Maqbool¹  Zhiqiang Ma²  Mingxing Li² 

[1] Department of Management Sciences, University of Okara, Renala, 044, Okara, Punjab, Pakistan;School of Management, Jiangsu University, 212013, Zhenjiang, China;

关键词: HCWs;    Physical and psychological health;    Performance;    Fear of infection and stress;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12961-023-01022-5

 received in 2022-12-29, accepted in 2023-06-19,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundIn Pakistan, the COVID-19 outbreak posed a significant challenge for healthcare workers in the country’s public hospitals. The HCWs faced several problems in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore this study investigated how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the medical staff at the public hospital in Sindh Province, Pakistan.MethodsIn this study, a qualitative exploratory design was used. Semi-Structure interviews (SSI) were conducted by using an open-indeed questionnaire (OIQ) for data collection. An inductive approach was used for theoretical data analysis. A total of 320 HCWs participated to complete the criteria of the study from 10 different public hospitals.ResultsThe study result showed the Sindh public hospital’s insufficient infrastructure, lack of health protective equipment, shortages of isolation rooms and beds, and emergencies during the COVID-19 pandemic caused HCWs to experience physical and psychological weariness, sleep disturbance, mental stress, and fear of infection.ConclusionThe study concluded that public hospitals’ insufficient infrastructure, furniture, emergency wards, and safety equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic significantly damaged HCWs’ physical and psychological health, generating fear of infection and sleep disturbance. Additionally, Sindh healthcare workers’ fear of illness and isolation may impair family connections.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2023

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