Experts in the health sector in the North-East have identified burnout as major cause of unethical behaviour among health workers towards patients in the country.
The experts including health professionals, academics, activists and patients spoke while responding to a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) survey on unprofessional attitudes of health personnel in Bauchi, Damaturu, Dutse, Gombe, Maiduguri and Yola.
They defined burnout as the state of having no energy or enthusiasm because of working too hard.
“Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.
“It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands”.
NAN reports that alleged unethical behaviours by some medical workers in health facilities has been a source of concern to many across the country with some calling for strict penalties against such erring personnel.
The situation as encapsulated by some patients in Dutse, Jigawa, called for proactive measures to address towards enhancing access to quality healthcare service delivery at the grassroots.
Recounting her ordeal, Zainab Tijjani, a housewife, blamed health workers for unfriendly attitude towards patients.
Tijjani said that she presented her baby for consultion at a health facility in the area where she experienced unpleasant and embarassing encounter with a doctor on duty .
“The baby is having cough, and I visited the clinic.
“The doctor on duty inquired whether I delivered of the baby at the same facility. And I answered in the negative.
“I told him that it was in Kano. He then said to me, why don’t you take the baby back to Kano and see the doctor there,” she lamented.
Tijjani, however, said that she reported the matter to the management of the hospital who promised to look into the complaint.
Another victim, Ahmad Zailani blamed the workers for unruly behaviour towards their clients, stressing that special training was imperative to rejig professional attitude among health workers in the state.
In Yobe, some patients decried alleged misconduct by medical personnel at the State Specialist Hospital, Damaturu.
Ms Zulai Bello and Falmata Muhammad, accused medical personnel for alleged truancy and dereliction to duty.
“Patients will leave house as early as 6:00 a.m. to enable them to see doctor on time, but they (doctors) will not come until around 10:00 am”.
They further alleged that some nurses at the facility harass patients without provocation.
However, Dr Joshua Abubakar, a lecturer, Department of Community Medicine, Gombe State University, said unthical behaviour being exhibited by health workers could be linked to pressure, frustration and lack of motivation in workplace.
He said the situation was compounded by manpower gaps bedeviling the sector, thus exposing workers to operate against the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards.
“In most cases, the ratio is one doctor to 10,000 patients in the country, this is as against the WHO standards of one doctor per 800 patients.
“By the time a doctor attended between 50 and 60 patients in a day, and at the end exhausted, what do you expect?
“Respect to clients is paramount to quality healthcare service delivery, however, health workers tend to behave irrationally due to lack of motivation and pressure from work,” he said.
The surgeon advocated recruitment of additional health personnel, creation of enabling working environment and improved salaries to check the menace.
“Health workers should know that they are serving humanity, therefore, respect matters,” and urged them to change their attitude towards patients.
Corroborating the stance; Dr Ummu Hani-Ja’afar, a medical doctor with Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital (ATBU-TH), said that pressure was largely responsible for the perceived negligence on the part of health personnel.
She noted that shortage of qualified personnel negatively affected performances in health facilities across the country.
According to her, health workers are professionals trained to deliver services to meet clients’ demands.
“The doctor/patient ratio is worrisome, as the work is overwhelming.
“Some of the actions are cause by fatigue rather than deliberate,” she said.
She, however, blamed the situation to the lackadaisical attitude of clients to health workers culminating to a frosty relations.
Similarly; Ms Elizabeth Carr, Coordinator, Journalist for Public Health and Development Initiative (J4PD), a non-governmental organisation, said that some health workers lack passion for the job.
“Some of the health workers never wanted to study health courses, their parents forced it on them in view of the lucrative nature of the profession.
“Poor supervision mechanism, lack of adherence to hierarchy and scheme of service contributed to issues around professionalism among health workers,” she said.
To address the menace; Dr Kabir Ibrahim, Executive Secretary, Jigawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (JGPHCDA), said the Agency had adopted proactive measures to promote good work ethics and ensure treatment of patients with respect and dignity.
“The attitude of health workers is a major challenge in quality service delivery not only in Jigawa but in Nigeria and other African countries.
“We are training health workers on the need to appreciate and support sick persons in accordance with ethics of the profession,” he said.
According to him, the state has recorded significant improvement in the campaign to curb the menace and improve worker/clients relationships.
Additionally; Dr Mohammed Ghuzule, Permanent Secretary, Borno Ministry of Health, said patients were being encouraged to report acts of negligence or misconduct by medical workers in the state.
He said the ministry had provided complaint boxes in healthcare facilities to facilitate prompt action to unprofessional conduct by personnel.
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The official said the Directorate of Medical Services entertains complaint against doctors, junior and middle cadre personnel, and the Directorate of Laboratory Services for those who work in the laboratories.
While for nurses and pharmacists, Directorates of Nursing Services and Pharmaceutical Services.
Moreso; the Yobe Commissioner for Health, Dr Lawan Gana restated government’s commitment to enhance quality healthcare service delivery.
He said the ministry would not condone negligence and unprofessional conducts, warning that erring personnel would be sanctioned.
Moreso; Dr Solomon Bulus, Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) in Adamawa, expressed readiness of the association to protect the rights of patients in public and private health facilities across the state.
According to Bulus, medical workers are expected to dedicate themselves to the care and wellbeing of their clients in line with ethics of the profession.
He said the association was sensitising its members on the imperative of protecting the interest of patients, especially on confidentiality and effective service delivery.
“Sometimes communication gap resulted to alleged negligence by health workers not minding the doctor/patients ratio,” he said.
This, he said, made it hard for patients to comprehend reasons behind delays in rendering services in clinics.
He, therefore, called for training and enforcement of guiding principles to promote good work ethics among medical practitioners.
For his part; Mr Murtala Aliyu of the Department of Nursing Services, Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe, advocated communication and behavoural training for medical personnel to enhance service delivery towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the country. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)