Medical practitioners have been urged to openly address the issue of “burnout” and how it exactly affects their health and lives.
Acting Supervisor of Elections, Ana Mataiciwa made the comments yesterday while opening the Fiji Medical Association (FMA) West Mini-Conference in Nadi.
“I would like to stress the importance of self care in your profession, emphasizing that taking care of oneself is essential in providing quality care to your patients,” she said.
“The significance of solidarity and support within the medical community to elevate the burden of burnout cannot be understated.
“I therefore encourage you to have open dialogue, mentorship, and resilience building strategies to address burnout effectively.
“It is crucial that we acknowledge the collective power that you have to defend positive changes in our healthcare system.
“Your expertise, passion, and unwavering commitment to excellence, serve as the driving force behind our shared vision of a healthier and thriving future.”
FMA president Dr Basharat Munshi acknowledged “burnout” exists amongst the profession.
“A significant proportion of doctors do suffer over burnout,’ he said.
“In those that are not virtually burntout, didn’t face stress to the point of some of them having perhaps temporary burnout.
“So, burnout is a spectrum, whereby, at the extreme end, it can lead to mental disorders such as depression.”
