Time needed to nurse fatigue, stress

More than a year since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, many healthcare workers working on the frontline are burnt out mentally and physically.

Unions and associations representing the medical field are calling for those on the frontline to be allowed time off to recover and recuperate from the crisis, or else many will leave the profession, they warn.

Even before the pandemic began, the World Health Organization said many countries faced preexisting health workforce challenges, including shortages estimated at 18 million globally.