Healthcare workers in HCM City face huge mental pressure, and the city, acknowledging this, is improving mental health support for them. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Recognising the enormous pressure on healthcare workers, the HCM City Department of Health has been developing a comprehensive mental healthcare plan for them and establishing a network of consultants they can access whenever they require.

Pressure from their workload and superiors, and harassment by patients' families are the reasons why many healthcare workers face mental health issues.

Even more concerning is that this problem has not been correctly recognised, and many might not even acknowledge their own issues.

These issues were identified at a seminar on "Enhancing mental health care support for healthcare workers" organised by the HCM City Center for Disease Control on April 5.

Dr Phan Thị Hằng, deputy director of the city's Hùng Vương Hospital, said the term “mental health of healthcare workers” has only been paid attention since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out.

A survey by her hospital found 42.4 percent of its personnel experiencing anxiety, 24.3 percent showing signs of depression and 16 percent under stress.

The hospital has organised sharing sessions to provide psychological support to its workers, designed materials and handbooks about mental health care to provide them with knowledge and skills for self-support.

After the sharing sessions and psychological first aid, the anxiety and depression rates have decreased significantly.

But Hằng said there are many who remain silent and are not open to discussing their mental health issues or interested in practising stress reduction.

To reduce work-related psychological issues, healthcare facility leaders should create a positive, safe environment, respect and appreciate healthcare workers’ efforts, and assign tasks without excessive pressure, she said.

When the workers are physically and mentally healthy, they could provide optimal care for patients and achieve the highest effectiveness in their work, she added.

Dr Nguyễn Văn Vĩnh Châu, deputy director of the HCM City Department of Health, said the city not only provides healthcare for over 10 million residents but also gets millions of other patients from elsewhere.

In 2023 the number of outpatients at its hospitals accounted for a fourth of the country’s total.

Healthcare workers also have to handle 2,000 to 3,000 administrative documents per month.

Especially when some treatment fails or there is a medical error, they experience immense pressure.

Without preventive measures, the threat of burnout syndrome for them is severe.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines “burnout” as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.

The department acknowledged that discrimination against those with mental health issues is a real issue, even among themselves.

This leads to serious consequences, with some people quitting their jobs, others even committing suicide after prolonged unresolved psychological issues.

So in 2023 the department rolled out the mental healthcare plan for the workers.

Under it, many healthcare facilities have set up relaxation rooms for staff and established psychological counselling units.

According to Châu, investing in healthcare for healthcare workers is as important as investing in physical infrastructure and equipment at hospitals.

According to a report by the department last year, work pressure is a major reason for healthcare workers quitting their jobs alongside factors such as inadequate health assurance, decreased health conditions post-COVID-19, low incomes, and need to travel long distances to work.

Between 2021 and October 2023 an estimated 1,024 healthcare workers at district and provincial hospitals quit their jobs. - VNS