Indemnity : guarding against more than just pandemic lawsuits
Towards the end of 2019 , the world became aware of a new disease which originated in Wuhan , China . COVID-19 was caused by a mutating , fast-spreading virus and led to a worldwide pandemic . Globally this pandemic highlighted significant challenges in healthcare systems with many being found to be inadequately equipped to deal with a crisis of this scale .
There is no denying it :
Doctors , nurses and other health professionals have been the heroes throughout this pandemic : # WeSeeYou . What the virus also revealed though , is the vulnerable side of the health profession that many are unaware of .
Initially , inadequate or the lack of personal protection equipment ( PPE ), and a shortage of human resources to meet the demands of the overloaded healthcare system put many health professionals ’ physical and mental health at risk . One of the consequences caused by the stressors to which health professionals are exposed is Burnout Syndrome ( BS ). BS is defined as excessive and prolonged stress with the main components of emotional fatigue causing energy loss , feeling wornout or fatigued , dissociation and depersonalisation and diminished work performance . In addition , quarantine and isolation were implemented to stop the spread of the disease . The psychological consequences of quarantine are well-documented . Quarantine can produce a predisposition to suffer post-traumatic stress symptoms or acute stress disorder . Health professionals expressed concerns repeatedly about the initial lack of preparedness for the outbreak and feared for the increase in the volume of infected patients . The large majority were worried about transmitting the disease to loved ones . Many became ill themselves and some died . The large majority of those who became ill experienced stress or emotional deviations .
Research findings published in 2020 in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine show that as much as health professionals are generally recognised for their emotional resilience , they are now facing additional layers of responsibilities and mental and physical hardships . Targeted individual and organisational strategies for mental health and overall wellness for health professionals are therefore critical for these courageous individuals . The Western Journal of Emergency Medicine recommend the following wellness strategies :
• Immediate and individualised access to mental health resources .
• Short- and long-term individualised wellness and mental health interventions to address the physical and emotional tolls of COVID-19 .
• Individual and organisational strategies to optimise wellness for healthcare providers in areas of nutrition ,
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