Assessment of the workload burden on health center staff during the COVID-19 epidemic in Cambodia

IntroductionIn Cambodia, health workers at health centers play an important role in providing essential primary health services to thepopulation in their coverage community. The recent epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could cause additionalworkload burden for them and undermine their role in maintaining the provision of the essential health services or even causeburnout. This study aims to assess the burden of COVID-19 on the workload of health center staff during this epidemic inCambodia.MethodsWe used the data from the assessment of Workload Indicator of Staffing Need (WISN) for Health Centers (HCs) in Cambodia2020. A total of 16 HCs in four provinces with 174 health staff, both health care and non-health staff at HCs from January 2019to June 2020, was included in this study. WISN tool was used to collect and calculate the workload and staff need for each HC.ResultsThe findings indicate that beside the current work as providing MPA services, health center staff also involved in the respondingin communicable disease outbreak. About one third (31%) of HCs have overworked staff exceeding 1688 hours per year evenbefore the COVID-19 epidemic in Cambodia. Battambang, the province with high activities on COVID-19, and Svay Riengspent 4% extra time than the remaining province with low activities on COVID-19.ConclusionsThis study confirms that about 70% of HCs do not have the over workload for staff yet even the tasks related to COVID-19were factored in. Therefore, it is highly recommended that frequency of COVID-19 prevention and community education shouldbe implemented as part of the routine work at HCs of the coverage community on top of the basic health services.