Measures and challenges faced by healthcare workers to protect their health

Abstract

Background: The governments of nations bear the obligation of ensuring health workers are afforded secure employment, job security, as well as encouragement and support. Hence, within our nation, characterized by expansive geographical coverage, certain provinces are geographically distant from their administrative centers, exhibiting a relative scarcity of human resources. Additionally, it is noteworthy that 80% of the workforce in the health sector comprises women. Consequently, in order to ensure equitable accessibility and provision of high-quality healthcare services to the populace, it becomes imperative to address the human resource challenges within the health sector. It is imperative to allocate particular focus towards the effective execution of distinct policies, particularly within the realm of social security. Aim: The objective of this research is to examine the well-being of healthcare professionals, the measures in place to safeguard their health, and the challenges encountered in this regard. Materials and Methods: The study encompassed a total of 655 healthcare professionals from both urban and rural health facilities. These participants were administered a standardized questionnaire to evaluate their overall health status. Additionally, the research team conducted individual interviews with the management and specialists from 47 organizations. Furthermore, a group consisting of 5-13 individuals was also involved in the study. The investigation of health issues was conducted by means of 30 focus group interviews. Results: The findings indicate that a significant proportion of the workforce, specifically 54.3 percent, reported their health status as average or bad. Furthermore, a total of 32.7 percent, equivalent to 214 individuals, took absence from work due to health-related issues within the last year. Organizations depend on their own resources to administer routine preventative checkups and testing to their employees, a practice that is widely prevalent. Numerous health-related issues are prevalent among staff in both urban and rural primary organizations, as well as in specialized facilities such as the BET. Conclusions: half of the health workers surveyed reported their health status as moderate or poor.The quality of health promotion programs for health workers, encompassing preventative screenings, vaccines, treatment assistance, and health promotion initiatives, varies between organizations due to the absence of a consistent structure and the absence of a dedicated healthcare facility for health professionals.