A University-Wide Preparedness Effort in the Alert Phase of COVID-19 Incorporating Community Mental Health and Task-Shifting Strategies: Experience from a Bornean Institute of Higher Learning

The COVID-19 pandemic caught the world by surprise, causing millions of confirmed cases and hundreds of thousands of deaths. Hence, the Malaysian government announced a Movement Control Order at the start of the containment phase to flatten the epidemiological curve. Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), a public university in Borneo, was accelerated into alert phase because of high risk of case importation from more than 400 China incoming undergraduates. Measures to mitigate the potential COVID-19 outbreaks in its population were taken by using conventional public health measures with special attention to task-shifting and widespread community mental health interventions. A Preparedness and Response Centre was established to overseer the mitigating measures happening inside the university. Measures taken included empowerment of frontline staff, strengthening of restrictions, strengthening university health center, vigorous contact tracing, widespread health education, maintaining cultural sensitivity, and establishment of early standard operating procedures and university continuity plans. Hence, UMS was able to ensure no importation of cases into its campus during both acute and containment phases at the nationwide level

Occupational burnout among public medical officers during the early stage of COVID-19 pandemic in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Burnout syndrome has affected many doctors globally, and this problem has caused various negative impacts on public health services such as reduced productivity and reduced quality care of patients. Various factors were associated with burnout among doctors, but the factors vary in different countries. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated risk factors of burnout among public service medical officers in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, who were involved in combating the Covid-19 outbreaks. A cross-sectional study involving 201 medical officers working in all government hospitals and health clinics was carried out. Using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), the prevalence of personal-related and work-related burnout were 61.2% and 48.8% respectively, while the prevalence of client-related burnout was 39.8%. Working in different medical departments and the length of working experience were the significant associated risk factors of burnout among the doctors. Meanwhile, other predictors were found not to be significantly associated with the prevalence of burnout. The prevalence of burnout among medical officers in Kota Kinabalu was relatively high especially among the less experienced doctors and among those who work in surgical based departments, and these issues require multilevel interventions which involve policymakers in the Ministry of Health, organizational and administrative managers at the various health departments and the medical officers themselve

Occupational burnout among public medical officers during the early stage of COVID-19 pandemic in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Burnout syndrome has affected many doctors globally, and this problem has caused various negative impacts on public health services such as reduced productivity and reduced quality care of patients. Various factors were associated with burnout among doctors, but the factors vary in different countries. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated risk factors of burnout among public service medical officers in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, who were involved in combating the Covid-19 outbreaks. A cross-sectional study involving 201 medical officers working in all government hospitals and health clinics was carried out. Using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), the prevalence of personal-related and work-related burnout were 61.2% and 48.8% respectively, while the prevalence of client-related burnout was 39.8%. Working in different medical departments and the length of working experience were the significant associated risk factors of burnout among the doctors. Meanwhile, other predictors were found not to be significantly associated with the prevalence of burnout. The prevalence of burnout among medical officers in Kota Kinabalu was relatively high especially among the less experienced doctors and among those who work in surgical based departments, and these issues require multilevel interventions which involve policymakers in the Ministry of Health, organizational and administrative managers at the various health departments and the medical officers themselve