Why do medical professionals resort to excessive alcohol?

With burnout becoming a concern among health […]

With burnout becoming a concern among health workers, health practitioner Dr. Teddy Mulenga, who has about 40 years of experience in the health sector, has shared practical ways medical professionals can manage and prevent burnout.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Dr. Mulenga said burnout is different from ordinary stress and is mainly characterized by physical and psychological exhaustion caused by a person’s work.

The demanding nature of healthcare work, including long hours, repetitive duties, and exposure to traumatic situations, can leave medical professionals physically and psychologically exhausted.

Dr. Mulenga expressed concern that some health workers resort to alcohol and smoking as ways of coping with workplace stress and difficult experiences.

Dr. Mulenga said medical professionals, particularly those exposed to traumatic situations, need healthy ways of dealing with emotional pressure rather than relying on alcohol or other harmful coping mechanisms.

He said colleagues also have an important role to play in identifying and supporting health workers who may be struggling.

“Whenever somebody resorts to alcohol to solve his problem, he’s not doing it alone. There are people around him,” Dr. Mulenga said.

He said one of the ways medical professionals can deal with burnout is by taking breaks and breaking the monotony of their daily duties.

Dr. Mulenga said performing the same tasks repeatedly can contribute to exhaustion, making it important for health facilities to consider rotating workers between different responsibilities.

“For example, for two months you are doing blood pressure tests; the other month you go and do dressings for wounds. The other month you go to the counselling department,” he said.

He said changing duties allows health workers to take a break from repetitive tasks and can help reduce burnout.

Dr. Mulenga also advised health workers experiencing stress to first identify what is causing it and determine whether it is something they can change.

He said where a problem cannot be changed, individuals should avoid allowing it to consume them, while issues that can be addressed should be dealt with through practical solutions.

He further encouraged medical professionals to seek counselling and psychosocial support when they find it difficult to cope with workplace pressure.

Dr. Mulenga said health workers should not assume that their professional knowledge makes them immune to emotional and psychological difficulties.

“They don’t know it all. They break down, so they need the support basis of psychosocial counsellors to sit down with them and advise them on the right way to run away from burnout,” he said.

He advised colleagues to create an environment where affected workers can openly discuss their challenges and receive appropriate support.

“Sit down with a fellow colleague, lay out the issues, listen to him, and then suggest solutions,” he said.

Dr. Mulenga said keeping problems to oneself can result in a person becoming increasingly overwhelmed, while opening up can help identify appropriate solutions.

He also stressed the importance of practicing healthy habits, noting that health professionals can sometimes advise patients on healthy lifestyles while struggling to follow the same advice themselves.

Dr. Mulenga said medical professionals, like everyone else, need support to protect their physical and psychological well-being.

He encouraged health workers experiencing burnout or struggling to cope with workplace stress to seek help rather than turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms.

By Karen Ngulube