Psychological Impact on Healthcare Professionals during a Public Health Crisis: A Cross Sectional Study of Healthcare Workers in MOHAP during the Pandemic (COVID-19) 2020, United Arab Emirates

Healthcare systems, globally, have been challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic like never before. Its effects have been unbelievably serious in many regions with heavy toll on lives of people and the economies of the countries. Frontline healthcare workers tormented this period without any premonition and that resulted in many different psychological impacts. The spirits of hospital workers in MOHAP UAE was immensely challenged by this pandemic too. The hospitals kept functioning under critical situations with additional burden on each worker and the system as a whole. Despite all challenges, MOHAP hospitals have been responsible for successfully supporting COVID treatment in Northern Emirates, with their large workforce tirelessly working initially. Thus, we considered it important to understand the impact of this situation on the psychology of the MOHAP healthcare workers who worked when others were home safely with their families, away from most risks. Previous hospital based studies have examined this question at the time of H1N1 pandemic in 2009.