The Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 on Staff at a Tertiary Referral Hospital in Guyana
Introduction
Introduction: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Guyana was first confirmedonMarch 11 2020. Globally, hospitals responded immediately to thepublichealth crisis including the Georgetown Public HospitalCorporation(GPHC) in Guyana; the principal tertiary referral centre.
Objectives
Objective: To investigate the impact of COVID-19 on staff at GPHC, as wellastheir satisfaction with the hospital’s response to COVID-19.
Method
Methods : A Qualtrics survey tool was used to collect numerical andcategoricaldata from staff regarding demographics andemploymentcharacteristics, individual experiences related to COVID-19,andwellness and satisfaction with the hospital’s response to COVID-19.The survey link was accessible to all staff with an internetconnectionover six weeks period from 16th November to 28th December2021. Statistical analyses were conducted using IBM Statistical Packageforthe Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 27 and p-values <0.05wereconsidered statistically significant.
Results
Results: The prevalence of COVID-19 among GPHC’s Health Care Workers (HCWs) was35.3%. Physicians had a significantly lower prevalence ofCOVID-19(29.3%, p < 0.05) whereas nurses had a higher prevalence(44.8%, p <0.05). The Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department hada significantlyhigher rate of COVID-19 infection compared to otherdepartments (51.9%,p < 0.001) . COVID-19 positivity was higher amongrespondents thatreceived the vaccine after the mandate vs prior (p <0.001). The meanwellness and satisfaction scores were 2.72/4 and2.61/4 respectively.Nurses and doctors had the lowest wellness andworkplace satisfactionscores.
Conclusion
Conclusion: Our study indicates that COVID-19 had a significant impact onGPHC’sstaff. Risk factors for burnout were highlighted by the wellnessscores, while the satisfaction scores indicated areas for improvement.Our datacan be used for targeted initiatives that enhance futurepandemicpreparedness at GPHC.
Recommendations
Recommendations: 1. Continue prioritizing testing among HCWs. 2. Encourage early vaccination among HCWs. 3. Implement a follow-up management protocol that supports HCWswith ‘long COVID’. 4. GPHC may consider promoting inclusivity in decision-making atanon-managerial level and a formal support system to improvestaffwellness and work satisfaction during health crises.