Care for Caregivers! Save Healthcare!

Late Ms. Lini Puthussery, The nurse who died while caring for a Nipah Virus Patient. Image Credit: Dr. Deepu Sebin. Twitter/@deepusebin:

Current mishaps related to the Nipah virus outbreak have left many in shock and disbelief. While most people are saluting the noble and heroic soul who left this world while caring for the sick, little attention is being paid by mainstream media to the larger issue involved, that is "Safety of hospital

workers".

Unsafe Hospital Environment

As you may have observed in the above chart, from the US Dept of Labor, hospitals workers have one of the highest injury and illness rates across various industries. Yes! the construction and manufacturing sectors offer safer environments to their workers than the acclaimed centers of excellence. More workers are injured in the healthcare sector than in any other industry.

Hospital workers spend a large part of their life in an unsafe environment. The same report acknowledges that "More than 90 percent of hospitals say they have systems or programs in place for managing employee safety and health. Certainly, a program on paper is a good first step. However, it takes effective implementation and commitment to protect workers and reduce injuries and illnesses. The statistics show that hospitals are still relatively hazardous workplaces, and they have much room to improve.

Hazards Faced by Hospital Workers

As per WHO, Health care facilities around the world employ over 59 million workers who are exposed to a complex variety of health and safety hazards which include:

Biological hazards, such as TB, Hepatitis, HIV/AIDS,
Chemical hazards, such as glutaraldehyde, ethylene oxide;
Physical hazards, such as noise, radiation, and falls;
Ergonomic hazards, such as heavy lifting;
Psycho-social hazards, such as shift work, violence, and stress;
Fire and explosion hazards, such as using oxygen, and;
Electrical hazards, such as frayed electrical cords.

While every healthcare worker is exposed to these hazards, it is the nursing personnel, particularly, Orderlies, Aides, Attendants, Nurses, Emergency technicians, and paramedics who are at maximum risk of harms. Such harms not only destroy the lives of such personnel but also compromise patient safety and have economic as well as societal implications.

Poor Mental Health in Hospital Workers

Studies indicate that health care workers experience higher rates of Stress. This also translates into higher rates of suicide than other professions and elevated rates of depression and anxiety linked to job stress. Apart from these mental disorders healthcare workers increasingly show other effects of stress like burnout, absenteeism, intent to leave, reduced patient satisfaction, and diagnosis and treatment errors.

Challenges of The Developing World

Developing countries have their unique challenges, including unsafe disposal of medical wastes, improper hand washing, non-wearing of gloves, and the non-usage of Protective Personal Equipment that further worsens worker safety. The majority of these occupational health hazards are known to occur but only 4% of such hazards are being reported.

Studies have also shown that employees who worked overtime and had long working hours had an increased likelihood of experiencing hazards and are associated with adverse health effects. This also raises concerns about patient safety and compromise of patient care.

Recommended Remedial Measures

Experts suggest that resources needed to strengthen worker safety include at least, a vaccination program against Hepatitis B, availability of Post-exposure prophylaxis for those who sustain needle stick injuries, proper medical waste disposal systems, Personal Protective Equipment.

Apart from resources, knowledge also plays a significant role, thus, posters, etc. should be used to remind workers of universal safety precautions. Periodic worker training and surveillance systems on occupational hazards would also go a long way in promoting worker safety.

For a long time, research has advocated that the dangers that lie within the healthcare setting should not be overlooked, yet those responsible for the implementation of health and safety programs look far from reaching the goal!

Health workers are often viewed as “immune” to injury or illness. Their patients come first. They are often expected to sacrifice their own well-being for the sake of their patients. But after all, they are also humans!

About the author: Dr. Naval Asija is a licensed MBBS Physician from India. MBBS is the equivalent of the MD degree offered by international medical schools. He is based in Delhi, India, and works as a medical writer, editor, and consultant. He supports medical researches as an author's editor, medical communication companies involved in medico-marketing activities, and medical technology companies in improving their products. He can be contacted via his LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/navalasija/

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