The Wellbeing of Healthcare Workers during COVID-19 Era in Public Primary Health Facilities in Johannesburg, South Africa

Glory Makhado, Busisiwe Ntuli, Lindiwe Zungu, Ntevhe Thovhogi, Peter Modupi Mphekgwana, Sogolo Lucky Lebelo, Sphiwe Madiba and Perpetua Modjadji ()
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Glory Makhado: Department of Public Health, School of Health Care Sciences, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria 0208, South Africa
Busisiwe Ntuli: Department of Public Health, School of Health Care Sciences, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria 0208, South Africa
Lindiwe Zungu: College of Graduate Studies, University of South Africa, Pretoria 0003, South Africa
Ntevhe Thovhogi: Non-Communicable Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
Peter Modupi Mphekgwana: Research Administration and Development, University of Limpopo, Polokwane 0727, South Africa
Sogolo Lucky Lebelo: Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Johannesburg 1709, South Africa
Sphiwe Madiba: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Limpopo, Polokwane 0700, South Africa
Perpetua Modjadji: Department of Public Health, School of Health Care Sciences, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria 0208, South Africa

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 3, 1-20

Abstract: As the world grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCWs) continued to provide uninterrupted health care service delivery; therefore, this disproportionately affected their wellbeing. Our study explored the wellbeing of HCWs during the COVID-19 era in public health facilities in the City of Johannesburg, Gauteng province, South Africa. A qualitative study was conducted among twenty (20) HCWs through face-to-face in-depth interviews (IDIs) in the form of semi-structured interviews, audiotapes, and transcribed verbatim, and thematically analyzed with NVivo version 10. The findings showed that over half of HCWs (aged between 27 and 60 years) tested positive for COVID-19. Also, one third of HCWs’ family members tested positive while some died due to COVID-19 infection. Informed by the workers’ wellbeing framework, four themes emerged with fourteen sub-themes. Firstly, unsafe work environment was characterized by human resource related challenges such as increased workload; staff shortage; insufficient resources, e.g., personal protective equipment (PPE); poor policies in terms of compensation/allowance for being infected with COVID-19; poor health services; and death of colleagues. Secondly, poor health outcomes were described as strained emotional (psychosocial distress) and physical (respiratory related conditions) wellbeing. Thirdly, home and community environments were negatively impacted by interrupted relationships with family and friends, and experiences of deaths of loved ones. Finally, HCWs engaged personal wellbeing strategies through self-motivation; staying positive; family support; and participating in resilience-promoting extra mural activities to cope during the pandemic. In conclusion, the wellbeing of HCWs was aggravated during the COVID-19 era and led to low morale and compromised healthcare quality. This study advocates for promotion of greater resilience, and psychological and physical safety of HCWs through evidence-based, multilevel-multicomponent interventions at the workplace, home, and community environments in addition to strengthening public health policies and response to future pandemics.

Keywords: wellbeing; healthcare workers; health facilities; COVID-19 era; South Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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