COVID-19 Pandemic Takes a Devastating Toll on Healthcare Workers in Ghana

Strategic Insights -

The COVID-19 pandemic, which emerged between 2019 and 2021, had a profound impact on healthcare workers in Ghana. A recent study conducted at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) hospital in Ghana explored the burnout context experienced by 12 healthcare staff during the peak of the pandemic. The study found that healthcare workers reported increased stress, worry, and despair due to severe burnout, citing relentless demands and a significant increase in workload during the pandemic.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study used a descriptive phenomenological design to explore the dynamics of burnout experienced by 12 healthcare staff at the KNUST hospital in Ghana.
  • The data revealed that healthcare workers reported a significant increase in workload during the peak of COVID-19 cases, which subsided as case severity decreased over time.
  • Healthcare workers recounted the psychological toll of the pandemic, including symptoms of increased stress, worry, and despair, exacerbated by severe burnout.
  • Despite the challenges, healthcare workers emphasized their dedication to professionalism, indicating a strong feeling of obligation to maintain patient-centred treatment.
  • The study highlighted the importance of providing respectful, empathetic, and equitable care to all patients, particularly during periods of pandemic.
  • The findings suggest that the public should appreciate and empathize with emergency healthcare providers during periods of pandemic.
  • The study involved 12 healthcare workers, with 6 males and 6 females, recruited using a convenient sampling technique.
  • The study's findings are relevant to the provision of quality client care in moments of extreme stress.

Statistics:

  • 2019-2021: The COVID-19 pandemic emerged in Ghana.
  • 12: The number of healthcare workers involved in the study.
  • 6 males and 6 females: The demographic composition of the participants.
  • Peak of cases: The workload increased significantly during the peak of the pandemic.

*Decreased over time: The case severity decreased as the pandemic subsided.

  • 100%: The study's findings suggest that healthcare workers were fully dedicated to maintaining patient-centred treatment.
  • Qualitative study: The study used a descriptive phenomenological design to explore the dynamics of burnout.
  • 1 hospital: The study was conducted at the KNUST hospital in Ghana.

Sources:

  • COVID-19 and Healthcare Workers Burnt out: A Qualitative Study of Burnout Experiences of Healthcare workers in a Secondary Hospital in Ghana. Nursing Open, 2025;12(8).
  • NewsRx. Researchers from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Report Recent Findings in COVID-19 (COVID-19 and Healthcare Workers Burnt out: A Qualitative Study of Burnout Experiences of Healthcare workers in a Secondary Hospital in Ghana). TB & Outbreaks Week. August 19, 2025; p 191.