Management in MAEPS 2.0 Quarantine Centre: Burnout and Quality of Life of MOH Healthcare Workers

Abstract

Objectives: Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang, MAEPS was established as a COVID-19 Quarantine and Low-Risk Treatment Centre that was aimed to reduce the burden of hospitals. Various categories of healthcare workers (HCWs) were deployed nationwide. Being far from home and friends, working in an unfamiliar environment, and being concerned about one's own risk of COVID-19 exposure may exacerbate burnout in HCWs or affect their quality of life. Assessment on burnout and quality of life among MOH HCWs stationed at MAEPS 2.0 and the management of the healthcare workforce during the pandemic are shared. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between September 2021 to May 2022. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory and the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire were used to assess burnout and quality of life of MOH HCWs respectively. The Checklist for the Management of Health Workers in Response to COVID-19 consisting of 8 Essential Actions was given to heads of divisions in charge to obtain their perspective. One point assigned to the intervention answered “Yes” by the majority of respondents. Cumulative marks were then converted to percentages according to each Essential Action. Results: The rate of burnout ranged between 18% to 32% among the 377 respondents. Majority of HCWs had a good and very good perception of their quality of life and were satisfied with their overall health. There were moderate to strong correlations (r = - 0.44 - 0.67) between burnout and quality of life (p<0.001). More than half of the eight Essential Actions in the checklist scored 100%. Conclusion: Management of workers is important to ensure preparedness for response, enhance surge capacity and maintain crucial health services during the pandemic. Some HCWs experienced burnout and it relates to their quality of life. Nonetheless, MOH HCWs management at MAEPS 2.0 was managed with minimum gaps against the checklist.International Journal of Human and Health Sciences Supplementary Issue: 2023 Page: S18