Risk Management and Healthcare Policy (Aug 2021)
Risk Perception and Willingness to Work Among Doctors and Medical Students of Karachi, Pakistan During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey
Abstract
Momina Khalid,1 Hiba Khalid,2 Sameer Bhimani,1 Simran Bhimani,2 Sheharyar Khan,3 Erum Choudry,4 Syed Uzair Mahmood5 1Department of Internal Medicine, Sindh Medical College, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan; 2Department of Internal Medicine, Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan; 3Department of Medicine, Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan; 4Indus Hospital Research Center, The Indus Hospital and Health Network, Karachi, Pakistan; 5Department of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UKCorrespondence: Hiba KhalidDow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Baba-e-Urdu Road, Saddar, Karachi, 74200, PakistanTel +923094379571Email [email protected]: During the timeline of twenty years, several epidemics and pandemics have occurred. Yet, a consistent feature of these public health crises is the surge in the demand for healthcare services exceeds the availability.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted in the month of June and July 2020 in Karachi, Pakistan. The study participants included doctors and medical students residing in Karachi.Results: Out of 187 doctors, 74.3% were working during the COVID-19 pandemic, of which 58.3% were willing to work. Out of 200 medical students, 93.5% were not volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic, of which 46% were willing to volunteer. Doctors strongly agreed that they would be willing to work during the COVID-19 pandemic if they were healthy and able to do so (57.2%), if they were provided personal protective equipment (PPE) (51.3%), and if they were guaranteed coverage of treatment cost if they get infected while working (57.8%). Medical students strongly agreed that they would be willing to volunteer during the COVID-19 pandemic if they were provided PPE (49.0%), and if their parents were supportive of their decision to volunteer (44.5%). Most doctors (54.5%) felt that they were extremely likely to get infected while working during the COVID-19 pandemic and 59.4% felt that in turn, they were extremely likely to infect their families as well. Most medical students (40.5%) felt that they were somewhat likely to get infected while volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic and 55.5% felt that in turn, they were extremely likely to infect their family as well. In the event of infection with COVID-19, 51.3% doctors and 42.0% medical students felt that they would recover without hospitalization.Conclusion: Since future pandemics are likely, we encourage health-care policymakers to utilize the findings of this study to create a sustainable pandemic response.Keywords: coronavirus disease 2019, SARS-CoV-2, physicians, risk, infection
