Public Health Care Workers Research Articles

How healthcare workers reacted to the different COVID-19 waves: An Italian survey

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on radiology departments all over the world, affecting both management and healthcare workers (HCWs). Therefore, it became challenging to guarantee high standards of diagnosis while keeping up with the workload. MethodsThe study was approved by the institutional review board. Its aim was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic over the radiology departments and HCWs through a survey. The questionnaire was available online from January to March 2022. Twelve areas of interest (sessions) were highlighted in the survey. ResultsThe number of total responders was 1376 and 73.7% of participants worked in public healthcare facilities. Comparisons between participants working in public versus private healthcare facilities were carried out using chi-square tests and Fisher tests. Within public healthcare workers, 82% affirmed having operating instruction protocols regarding confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patient CT management (p< 0.001). Private healthcare facilities had fewer CT scanners available in general (p< 0.001); in fact, only 18% of them affirmed having two or more CT scanners, and did not have CT scanners dedicated to confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients (p< 0.001). Finally, public facilities strongly reduced (by 88%) the number of examinations booked during the first wave, compared to private healthcare facilities (p< 0.001). ConclusionThis survey showed that public facilities appeared to be better prepared from an organizational point of view than private facilities. Rescheduling the examinations booked during the first COVID-19 wave was challenging and not always possible.

Ethical Sensitivity and its Association with Caring Behavior among Healthcare Workers in Delta State, Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Caring behavior is a unique behavior that can promote patients’ well-being, the performance of healthcare workers, and the general effectiveness of healthcare institutions. The mechanism and possible predictors of caring behavior are under-researched in health and organizational behavior literature. Based on the aforementioned, this study examined the predictive effect of ethical sensitivity (dimensions included) on caring behavior, and gender differences in caring behavior and ethical sensitivity among public healthcare workers in Delta State, Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional research design and a quantitative approach for data collection were adopted. Simple random sampling was adopted for selecting the participating hospitals while the convenience sampling technique was utilized for selecting the healthcare workers. Two instruments with good psychometric properties were used for the data collection. The simple linear regression and independent sample t-test were used for testing the hypotheses via the IBM-SPSS v.25. Results: The participants comprised 150 healthcare workers from public-owned hospitals consisting of 73(48.7%) males and 77(51.3%) females with a mean age of 40.60 years and a standard deviation of 9.30. The results of the study indicated that ethical sensitivity positively and significantly predicted caring behavior. Also, two dimensions of ethical sensitivity, moral strength, and moral responsibility positively and significantly predicted caring behavior while a sense of moral burden did not. Finally, there was no significant gender difference in caring behavior and ethical sensitivity. Conclusion: This study highlights the role of ethical sensitivity, moral strength, and moral responsibility in predicting higher levels of caring behavior among healthcare workers. Thus, it was recommended that hospital administrators, health policymakers, and practitioners seeking to boost the caring behavior of healthcare workers should focus on enhancing factors such as sensitivity to ethical standards. Also, administrators of medical education can nurture intending healthcare workers (medical students) on the importance of ethics in the medical profession.

Determinants of COVID-19 immunisation uptake in a country with high mortality and a low vaccination rate

BackgroundResearch concerned with attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination in upper middle-income countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) is scarce. Currently, B&H has the lowest number of fully vaccinated adults in Europe, and the highest cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths and SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals. The aim of our study was to examine the factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination status in B&H. MethodsAn online survey among 1304 B&H adults was conducted in October 2021 evaluating vaccine acceptance, together with socio-demographic variables, attitudes and beliefs related to COVID-19 vaccination. ResultsThe results from a binary logistic regression indicate that those who believed that the COVID-19 vaccine was effective were 45 times more likely to be vaccinated compared to those who did not. We also show that those who had received childhood immunisations were 41 times more likely to be vaccinated against COVID-19 compared to those who had never been previously immunised. Other significant factors were related to respondents’ trust in government institutions and healthcare policymakers as well as trust in public healthcare workers. ConclusionWe suggest that future vaccination campaigns should be aimed at educating the public regarding the importance and safety of vaccines, together with strengthening trust in the public health system.

COVID-19 disease and vaccination in pregnancy: understanding knowledge, perceptions and experiences among pregnant women and community leaders in Uganda.

We investigated pregnant women and community leaders' knowledge, perceptions and experiences of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program during pregnancy in Uganda and how this changed over the course of the pandemic. We conducted 20 in-depth interviews (IDIs) and two group discussions (GDs) with pregnant women and four GDs with community leaders in Kawempe division of Kampala, Uganda. The first round of IDIs/GDs were carried out in March 2021. In July 2021, telephone IDIs were conducted with 7 pregnant women and 10 community leaders randomly selected from first-round interview participants. Themes were analysed deductively drawing codes from the topic guides. In the first round, the majority of participants thought COVID-19 was not real because of misconceptions around government messaging/motivation and beliefs that Africans would not be affected. In the second round, participants recognised COVID-19 disease, because of rising case numbers and fatalities. There was increased awareness of the benefits of the vaccine. However, pregnant women remained unsure of vaccine safety and quality, citing side effects like fevers and general body weakness. Role models and coherent public health messaging and healthcare workers were key enablers of vaccine uptake. Targeted and sustained COVID-19 communication and engagement strategies are needed, especially for pregnant women and others in their communities, to improve vaccine confidence during outbreaks.

Collaborative Governance of Public Health: A Cultural and Ethical Perspective on Predicting Citizens' Trust in Public Health Services During Medical Emergencies

Over the years, citizens' expectations of the healthcare sector have increased, especially after the sudden outbreak of COVID-19. Additionally, citizens are becoming more conscious of having a healthier lifestyle based on several environmental and economic issues prevailing worldwide. Hence, empirically testing the predictors of providing excellent public healthcare services and enhancing the resultant citizens' trust in such services is of utmost significance. Simultaneously, the critical role of healthcare workers' capacity in providing quality services to patients in public health institutions and improving healthcare services to develop citizens' trust needs has been considered in this study. Based on a quantitative survey, the current study collected data from 460 individuals regarding three collaborative governance practices and resultant improved public healthcare services. The results revealed the significance of all three collaborative governance of public health practices. Citizen participation was the most impactful, followed by democratic accountability and procedural legitimacy. The study results are valuable to practitioners, policymakers, healthcare service providers, and governments. Among the recommendations are that collaborative governance practices should be developed, the healthcare system should be decentralized to provide the best services to citizens, and public healthcare workers' capabilities should be improved by providing proper training.

Intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors of frontline health workers in Ghana

Background: Human resources are vital for delivering health services, and health systems cannot function effectively without enough skilled, motivated, and well-supported health workers. Even though several studies have addressed job satisfaction among healthcare professionals in different parts of the world, there is limited research examining intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors involved in job satisfaction, particularly in low-and-middle-income countries. Methods: This was a facility-based quantitative cross-sectional study conducted in 34 primary health care facilities, across three out of the 26 districts in the Eastern Region of Ghana, between February and March 2018, analyzing job satisfaction and underlying factors. Randomly selected public health workers (n=287) from health facilities were included in the study. The two-factor theory was adopted as the measurement model for this study. Results: The odds of staff that had received management training in the past 12 months being intrinsically satisfied was 3.73 (95% CI:2.03,6.86) times higher than staff with no management training (p&lt;0.001). Compared to staff working in hospitals, Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) staff showed lower levels of satisfaction on factors relating to intrinsic motivation. Technical staff had higher odds of being intrinsically and extrinsically satisfied compared to non-technical staff. Conclusions: Public healthcare workers working at primary health facilities in Ghana, at higher levels of service delivery, showed higher satisfaction compared to lower-level staff, both in terms of intrinsic and extrinsic factors underlying satisfaction. Thus, to enhance healthcare services, health facilities’ administrators should take measures to improve the working conditions of staff at all levels of service delivery, since the hierarchy of service delivery in the health system makes the contributory role of all staff critical in improving the quality of primary healthcare.

Perspectives and Experiences of Young Mothers Utilizing Public Healthcare Services in a South African Township

The prevalence of disrespectful and abusive care by public healthcare workers toward women during labor has been widely described as a health concern in the continent of Africa. Studies conducted in South Africa have outlined the different forms of abusive care, which include disrespect, neglect as well as abandonment. Research conducted on the mistreatment have focused on matured and married women as it has been assumed that childbearing occurs after marriage. This study placed emphasis on the experiences of young women utilizing public healthcare services during childbirth. Using a qualitative method, the study aimed to shed insights into the experiences of young women utilizing public healthcare services. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 young women aged 20 to 25 years living in a South African township. The study findings were thematically analyzed. The interviews suggest that young women experienced different forms of abusive care including, disrespect, abandonment and lack of privacy. The study recommends that the healthcare system in South Africa should effectively address the causes of abusive care and take appropriate action to ensure accountability and that women receive professional and dignified childbirth experience.

Acceptability and feasibility of a mobile health application for enhancing public private mix for TB care among healthcare Workers in Southwestern Uganda

BackgroundMobile health interventions can potentially enhance public–private linkage for tuberculosis care. However, evidence about their acceptability and feasibility is lacking. This study sought to assess the initial acceptability and feasibility of a mobile health application for following up on presumptive tuberculosis patients referred from private to public hospitals. Twenty-two healthcare workers from three private hospitals and a public hospital in southwestern Uganda received the Tuuka mobile application for 1 month for testing. Testing focused on referring patients by healthcare workers from private hospitals and receiving referred patients by public healthcare workers and sending SMS reminders to the referred patients by filling out the digital referral forms inbuilt within the app. Study participants participated in qualitative semi-structured in-depth interviews on the acceptability and feasibility of this app. An inductive, content analytic approach, framed by the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model, was used to analyze qualitative data. Quantitative feasibility metrics and the quantitative assessment of acceptability were analyzed descriptively using STATA.ResultsHealthcare workers found the Tuuka application acceptable and feasible, with a mean total system usability scale score of 98 (SD 1.97). The majority believed that the app would help them make quicker medical decisions (91%), communicate with other healthcare workers (96%), facilitate partnerships with other hospitals (100%), and enhance quick TB case notification (96%). The application was perceived to be useful in reminding referred patients to adhere to referral appointments, notifying public hospital healthcare workers about the incoming referred patients, facilitating communication across facilities, and enhancing patient-based care.ConclusionThe Tuuka mobile health application is acceptable and feasible for following up on referred presumptive tuberculosis patients referred from private to public hospitals in southwestern Uganda. Future efforts should focus on incorporating incentives to motivate and enable sustained use among healthcare workers.

Rapid Shift from SARS-CoV-2 Delta to Omicron Sub-Variants within a Dynamic Southern U.S. Borderplex

COVID-19, caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), remains an ongoing global health challenge. This study analyzed 3641 SARS-CoV-2 positive samples from the El Paso, Texas, community and hospitalized patients over 48 weeks from Fall 2021 to Summer 2022. The binational community along the U.S. southern border was predominantly SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant (B.1.617.2) positive for a 5-week period from September 2021 to January 2022 and quickly transitioned to the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529), which was first detected at the end of December 2021. Omicron replaced Delta as the predominant detectable variant in the community and was associated with a sharp increase in COVID-19 positivity rate, related hospitalizations, and newly reported cases. In this study, Omicron BA.1, BA.4, and BA.5 variants were overwhelmingly associated with S-gene dropout by qRT-PCR analysis unlike the Delta and Omicron BA.2 variants. The study reveals that a dominant variant, like Delta, can be rapidly replaced by a more transmissible variant, like Omicron, within a dynamic metropolitan border city, necessitating enhanced monitoring, readiness, and response from public health officials and healthcare workers.

Negative representations of night-shift work and mental health of public hospital healthcare workers in the COVID-19 era (Aladdin survey)

BackgroundMany risk factors impact the health of hospital night workers, which can lead to physical and mental health disorders. During the recent period, night hospital workers have been particularly stressed. This study therefore aims to: (i) To document the prevalence of depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, and symptoms suggestive of post-traumatic stress disorder in night shift workers (NSHW) working in Parisian public hospitals after France’s first COVID-19 wave ended; (ii) To estimate the effect of negative representations and perceptions of night shift work on these mental health outcomes.MethodsAn observational cross-sectional online survey of NSHW (June to September 2020) in 39 public hospitals in Paris, France. Standard scales were used to measure mental health outcomes. Weighted multinomial logistic regression models supported the identification of predictors of depression (score > 10 on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, HADS, for depression), anxiety (score > 10 on the HADS for anxiety), severe insomnia (score > 21 on the Insomnia Severity Index, ISI) and symptoms suggestive of post-traumatic stress disorder (score > 36 on the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, IES-R).ResultsThe weighted prevalence rates [95% confidence interval] of depression, anxiety, severe insomnia, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder were, respectively, 18.9% [16.5–21.2], 7.6% [6.0–9.1], 8.6% [6.9–10.2] and 11.7% [9.7–13.6]. After multiple adjustment, organizational changes in NSHW professional lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic (such as moving to another hospital department and modified schedules) and NSHW-perceived negative representations of night work were significantly associated with all studied mental health outcomes.ConclusionOur findings confirm the importance of monitoring mental health and sleep quality among NSHW in Parisian public hospitals, even more during health crises. Multilevel interventions aiming at reducing negative representations and improving work organization are urgently needed to improve overall health of this frontline healthcare providers group.

Understanding the relationship between the public sector healthcare workers and NGO-based HIV counsellors while providing HIV counselling and testing services to pregnant women: A Qualitative Study in Suva, Fiji

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) counselling and testing plays a significant role in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. HIV counselling and testing during pregnancy is an essential gateway for HIV prevention, timely treatment, and care services. Lack of proper counselling could jeopardise the quality of services. This paper aims to understand the relationship between the government employed hospital healthcare workers and the Non-Governmental Organisation based counsellors while providing HIV counselling and testing services to pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in one of the main hospitals in Suva, Fiji. Data were collected via individual, in-depth, interviews held in a single hospital and an associated reproductive health centre in Suva in April-May 2013. A total of 15 healthcare providers including doctors (n = 4), midwives (n = 5), nurses (n = 4), and counsellors (n = 2) were interviewed. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Ethical approvals were obtained.We found that there was tension between the government employed hospital healthcare workers and the Non-Governmental Organisation based counsellors involved in the provision of HIV counselling and testing services to pregnant women. The predominant causes of tension were poor referral for HIV test counselling, long counselling time, lack of cooperation and conflict due to the differences in counselling approaches.Tension between the government employed hospital healthcare workers and the Non- Governmental Organisation based HIV counsellors appear to be the main challenge to effective provision of HIV test counselling services in the hospital. Ongoing tension between both groups could restrict healthcare workers abilities to provide quality HIV counselling services. Our findings would be useful in developing strategies to overcome tension amongst healthcare workers as it would be an imperative step in providing streamlined HIV counselling services to women attending antenatal clinic in Fiji.

Compliance of Primary Healthcare Workers in Saudi Arabia With the National Surveillance System of Tropical and Non-tropical Dermatological Diseases.

Control and prevention of infectious diseases has been a primary health mandate. The reporting system is a vital step in preventing and controlling of these diseases. Most important, healthcare workers who have a responsibility to report must be aware of this responsibility. The present study aimed to improve the compliance of primary healthcare workers against reportable tropical and non-tropical dermatological diseases. The objective was to assess the knowledge, skills, and practice of primary healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia regarding the surveillance system of reportable tropical and non-tropical dermatological diseases using an assessment tool featuring closed-ended questions. As a secondary objective, this study assessed the satisfaction of primary healthcare workers with the surveillance system. Through a cross-sectional design, the study used an electronic self-administered questionnaire targeting the primary healthcare workers who met the inclusion criteria through a non-probability sampling technique. By the end of the study period, data had been collected from 377 primary healthcare workers. Slightly more than half of them worked for the ministry of health facilities. In the last year, the vast majority (88%) of participants did not report any infectious diseases. Poor or low knowledge was reported by almost half of the participants concerning which dermatological diseases should be notified immediately on clinical suspicion or routinely on a weekly basis. Clinically and in response to the skills assessment, 57% of the participants had lower skills scores in detecting and identifying the skin ulcer of leishmania. Half of the participants were less satisfied with the feedback after their notification and considered the notification forms complicated and time-consuming, especially with the usual high workload in primary healthcare centers. Furthermore, the observed significant differences (p < 0.001) in knowledge and skill scores were demonstrated with female healthcare workers, older participants, employees from the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, and workers with more than ten years of experience. The present study has shown the limitations of public health surveillance due to underreporting and lack of timeliness. The dissatisfaction of study participants with feedback after the notification step is another finding that demonstrates the need for collaboration among public health authorities and healthcare workers. Fortunately, health departments can implement measures to improve practitioners' awareness through continuous medical education and providing frequent feedback to overcome these hurdles.

Comparison of the Psychological Impact of COVID-19 on Self-Employed Private Healthcare Workers with Respect to Employed Public Healthcare Workers: Three-Wave Study during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain

(1) Background: Coronavirus disease, also called COVID-19, is a worldwide pandemic with a major impact on all aspects of the individual (health status, psychological, and economic aspects, among others). The perception of health professionals in this situation has been influenced by their economic and psychosocial situations. On the economic level, self-employed workers have no state subsidies, with the added disadvantage of not having sufficient means to cope with contagion. This could potentially have an impact on their health and indirectly on their family members, creating additional stress. The aim of this study was to determine whether there are differences in the level of anxiety of health professionals working in private practice compared to healthcare workers working in public institutions during the first three waves of COVID-19. (2) Methods: A cohort study on 517 subjects comparing anxiety between a group of health workers and a group of health professionals working in the public sector at three key moments during the pandemic was performed. (3) Results: Statistically significant differences were found between self-employed private health professionals compared to those working as public health workers. The perception of impact was worse in the self-employed; however, a higher level of anxiety was evident in public employees in all assessed domains (cognitive, physiological, and motor, p = 0.001). (4) Conclusions: There were significant changes when comparing the first phase between both groups; employed public healthcare workers manifested a sense of lower risk of COVID-19 contagion than privately employed professionals, who had a higher level of anxiety. In the second and third waves, negative feelings improved for both groups, and the fear of showing anxiety to the patient decreased over the course of the waves.

Understanding the mental health impact and needs of public healthcare professionals during COVID-19 in Pakistan : a qualitative study

ObjectivesA dearth of qualitative studies constrains in-depth understanding of health service providers’ perspectives and experiences regarding the impact of COVID-19 on their mental health. This study explored the mental health...

Operationalizing Academic-Industry Partnerships to Advance Digital Health Equity: Lessons Learned.

Technological innovation can improve health care and population health. However, it is not often designed with public health systems and diverse patients in mind. In 2016, university faculty digital health experts established an innovation incubator in an academic setting based in a public health care system. The incubator conducted projects with a cohort of private technology companies and sparked cross-sector dialogue about digital health equity. The incubator completed rapid-cycle research and evaluation projects with industry and in partnership with publicly insured patients and public health care workers to improve the fit of technology with diverse user needs and preferences. Lessons learned include the importance of an explicit focus on equity, early alignment of expectations, broader investment and communications, and inclusive stakeholder relationships. Partnerships between the digital health industry and public health researchers can bridge the gap between technology offerings and the needs and preferences of publicly insured patients.

Determinants of utilization of National Health Insurance Fund cover in public health facilities by public health care workers in Makueni County

Background: Robust healthcare funding systems are seen as critical for guaranteeing universal healthcare access. This implies that health services should be adequately accessible to everyone ensuring health situation doesn’t reduce the patient and their family to poverty making analysis of determinants of National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) cover utilization critical.Methods: Descriptive research design was used to study utilization of NHIF cover among health professionals in public hospitals in Makueni County. Stratified random sampling technique was used to sample the facilities across the different levels. The study sample was 291 from a target population of 1183 health professional. The data was collected using structured questionnaires. Statistical package for social science (SPSS version 25) was used to code and analyze the raw data. Pearson's coefficient of correlation and multiple regressions were used to assess the association between determinants and NHIF utilization.Results: The study found and concluded that at the significance level of 95%, alternative insurance covers, perceived quality of health services and NHIF communication strategy significantly influenced utilization of NHIF cover by public health care workers at α=0.05. On the other hand, NHIF scheme characteristic was an insignificant determinant of utilization of NHIF cover among public health care workers in Makueni County.Conclusions: The study concludes alternative insurance covers, NHIF scheme characteristics, perceived quality of health services influenced utilization of NHIF cover and NHIF communication strategy influenced utilization of NHIF cover among health workers.

Development of an Evidence-Informed Solution to Emotional Distress in Public Safety Personnel and Healthcare Workers: The Social Support, Tracking Distress, Education, and Discussion CommunitY (STEADY) Program.

Public safety personnel (PSP) and healthcare workers (HCWs) are frequently exposed to traumatic events and experience an increased rate of adverse mental health outcomes compared to the public. Some organizations have implemented wellness programming to mitigate this issue. To our knowledge, no programs were developed collaboratively by researchers and knowledge users considering knowledge translation and implementation science frameworks to include all evidence-informed elements of posttraumatic stress prevention. The Social Support, Tracking Distress, Education, and Discussion Community (STEADY) Program was developed to fill this gap. It includes (1) peer partnering; (2) distress tracking; (3) psychoeducation; (4) peer support groups and voluntary psychological debriefing following critical incidents; (5) community-building activities. This paper reports on the narrative literature review that framed the development of the STEADY framework and introduces its key elements. If successful, STEADY has the potential to improve the mental well-being of PSP and HCWs across Canada and internationally.

Severe Restrictions on Hungarian Public Health-Care Workers’ Collective Rights Violate ilo Principles

Severe Restrictions on Hungarian Public Health-Care Workers’ Collective Rights Violate ilo Principles

Job Satisfaction of Public and Private Healthcare Centers in Rangpur City Corporation Area: A Comparative Study

This study compares public and private hospital employees' job satisfaction. The study's objective is a comparative analysis of employee job satisfaction in public and private healthcare centers concerning employee management systems and motivational factors. Respondents have been selected from the public and private healthcare centers of Rangpur City Corporation. The study observed that the views of public and private healthcare employees are volatile in many ways. It's also observed that private hospitals follow systematically and scientifically EMM practices, creating high employee satisfaction levels. In addition, public healthcare workers are more satisfied with the terms and conditions of their workplace than private health workers.

Mental health experiences of public psychiatric healthcare workers during COVID-19 across southern Gauteng, South Africa: a call for strengthening public mental health care

The global COVID-19 pandemic and South Africa’s national lockdown introduced serious threats to public mental health in a society where one in three individuals develop a psychiatric disorder during their life. Studies worldwide have illustrated the acute psychosocial strain and chronic psychiatric sequelae experienced by healthcare employees during the pandemic. Over and above existing systemic constraints, national leaders in public mental healthcare have reported serious challenges in delivering psychiatric services during COVID-19. Despite these early reports on the psychological and healthcare-related consequences of COVID-19, no study has evaluated the impacts of the pandemic on mental healthcare workers and psychiatric facilities in South Africa, nor have the implications for public mental health policy been elucidated. Here we examine the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in five specialised and tertiary psychiatric facilities in southern Gauteng. In-depth qualitative interviews (n=55) were administered to examine the perceptions of psychiatric hospital workers. Survey-based data (n=54) and regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between COVID-19 healthcare experiences and psychiatric morbidity. Our study found elevated psychiatric morbidity among hospital staff. Healthcare-related stress during lockdown Levels 3 to 1 was strongly associated with worse symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. We also found salient experiences of fear and COVID-19 infection risk, acute resource shortages, and long-term healthcare infrastructural constraints. These circumstances undergirded and exacerbated harmful conditions that posed major threats to patient care, worsened occupational health, and compromised each hospital’s capacity to overcome the pandemic. Without major and expeditious policy action towards improving public mental health, South Africa is at risk for yet another mental healthcare catastrophe in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We offer these findings to highlight the need for mental health promotion among hospital staff, identify constraints in the public mental health system, and provide future direction for mental health policy planning.