Supporting Mental Well-being of Healthcare Professionals amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for Health what more will be done to support the mental well-being of healthcare workers, particularly to prevent depression and self-harm.

Dr Shahira Abdullah asked the Minister for Health (a) whether there are specific policies and programmes in place to reduce the burnout rates and improve mental health among healthcare workers working in the public healthcare system, particularly given the prolonged pandemic; and (b) if so, what are these policies and programmes.

Public healthcare workers in our healthcare clusters have access to professional counselling services, including counselling clinics and helplines, as well as peer support schemes and networks. In 2019, such services were used around 330 times. This increased to around 890 in 2020 and 1,080 in 2021.

There is rising awareness of support measures available and the increase in utilisation indicates a need to support the mental well-being of healthcare staff better. Organisations, such as the healthcare clusters, have also increased efforts, such as well-being offices, staff well-being committees, as well as planning and implementing new and enhanced mental wellness strategies for their staff.

Campaigns have been launched to raise awareness of mental health issues and to encourage help-seeking behaviours. Surveys are conducted regularly to better understand staff morale, resilience and capacity to cope with adversity. New training programmes on mental wellness have been made mandatory for all public healthcare staff. Meanwhile, self-care and recharge programmes will continue to be conducted on a regular basis to ensure that staff have sufficient rest.

Our Public Healthcare Institutions (PHIs) have introduced new technology-supported initiatives, such as online self-assessment tools and artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, such as Wysa and BotMD. These assist staff to seek help early and prevent further deterioration of their mental well-being. Whistle-blowing avenues, such as in-house or third-party feedback channels, are available for public healthcare staff to raise their concerns on the mental well-being and safety of their colleagues or themselves.

There are avenues for staff who require a listening ear or professional counselling. Peer-support networks, such as department well-being champions, have been expanded to cover all staff groups. Professional counselling services and helplines are available, with some offering extended hours.

MOH will continue to work with PHIs to advocate for mental health and support mental wellness initiatives and encourage help-seeking behaviours amongst healthcare staff.