An Analysis of Financial Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic among People in Indonesia: A Case of Health Personnel

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a financial impact among people in Indonesia, including health workers as the frontline in handling COVID-19 patients. AIM: This study aims to determine the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among health workers in Indonesia. METHODOLOGY: This observational and cross-sectional study involved 184 health workers. Data analysis was performed using the descriptive analysis method by calculating each variable’s average score, comparing the averages for income variables and expenditure variables. RESULTS: The average income before the pandemic was IDR 15,100,000 ± 10,909,764, while the average income during the pandemic was IDR 13,993,206 ± 10,210,825. Before the pandemic, the average expenditure was IDR 4,590,266 ± 3,142,722, while the average expenditure during the pandemic was IDR 5,733,967 ± 4,249,593. The average decrease in income was IDR 1,106,793 ± 2,473,370 with a significance of p = 0.000 and an average increase in expenditure was IDR 1,144,701 ± 1,841,336 with a significance of p = 0.000. During the COVID-19 pandemic, all respondents were still working and earning a salary. In addition, there was a decrease in the number of respondents who opened businesses and practices due to the business or the practice of getting unwell. The majority of respondents experienced dominant changes in expenditures for health needs, foodstuffs, processed food/beverages, and phone credit/data package. Furthermore, the majority of respondents had difficulty in meeting the need for credit installments. CONCLUSION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, health workers experienced a decrease in productivity in the form of a significant decrease in income and a significant increase in expenditure. There was a decrease in the number of respondents who opened businesses, and most respondents experienced dominant changes in expenditures for health needs.