Ganesh S Dharmshaktu1, Tanuja Pangtey2. 1. Department of Orthopaedics, Government Medical College, Haldwani, Uttarakhand, India. 2. Department of Pathology, Government Medical College, Haldwani, Uttarakhand, India.
Dear Sir,We read with interest the article entitled “Health problems in healthcare workers: A review” by Mohanty et al.[1] The article not only is well researched and pertinent to the medical community but relevant to its interests in recent times. Many of the health related issues described in the article reflect similar changes in contemporary society. While problems like work-place violence require multi-pronged strategy, many other issues warrant an introspection by medical fraternity, which is long overdue. Personal and lifestyle management indeed, in majority of cases, help doctors who are becoming burdened, bored or burnt out. Recent amendments in Hippocratic Oath has added newer points that are relevant to the physician well-being. “I will attend to my own health, well-being, and abilities in order to provide care of the highest standard” is one of the pledge added to the new amendment that is also called ‘The Physician's Pledge’.[2] It is high time that this aspect of the pledge requires widespread adoption, in letter and spirit, by medical fraternity for its own good. Physician's well-being has been a acknowledged as a serious concern by various medical fora like World Medical Association.[3] It is not uncommon to see doctors not giving due respect to their own health and work-life balance, and it turns out to be counterproductive in the long run. Caring for one's own health by adopting healthy habits of diet, exercises, regular health checkups or having good social support system leads to holistic well-being that doctors deny themselves. Similarly, nourishing the mind with academic updates, good literature and hobbies makes one well-rounded with diverse world view, which in turn results in empathetic treatment. Small measures of personal happiness accumulate to provide the person richer dividends in terms of a healthy living with its positive ripple effects in professional arena.[4] Collaborative for Healing and Renewal in Medicine (CHARM), a group of leading medical organizations has proposed the Charter on Physician Well-Being and well-being of all healthcare team, patient care, high-value care and shared responsibilities are its guiding principles.[5] A less stressful life is becoming a luxury in this age of conflicts, rat race and materialistic gratifications and doctors who are expected to provide succor to ailing society need to lead by example. Primary care workers are in direct contact with grass-root social milieu and can be role models by adopting healthier practices and inspire colleagues and patients to follow suit. In addition, dedicated curricular inclusions of chapters on remedial life skills in the undergraduate and postgraduate courses along with talks and sessions of physician well-being in conferences and seminars may be another step in sensitizing larger populace to this policy. The change in the attitude of placing high priority to well-being of physician and healthcare worker should begin at home and soon the world be a healthy family.