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The Medical for Quality Healthcare in Zambia (MQHZ) has called for urgent and time-bound strengthening of psychosocial support systems within health facilities across the country, citing serious concern over workplace stress, burnout, and mental wellbeing challenges affecting healthcare workers.
Organization Director General, Dr. Quincy Mwabu, said healthcare workers remained the backbone of Zambia’s health system, responsible for delivering essential and life-saving services.
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Sunday, Mwabu, however, said many continued to operate under sustained pressure characterised by heavy workloads, staff shortages, long working hours, and increasing service demand.
He said the conditions contributed to burnout, anxiety, depression, sleep-related disorders, and other mental health challenges that may significantly affect wellbeing and professional performance.
“Healthcare workers remain the backbone of Zambia’s health system, responsible for delivering essential and life-saving services. However, many continue to operate under sustained pressure characterised by heavy workloads, staff shortages, long working hours, and increasing service demand,” Mwabu said.
He noted that in such high-pressure environments, some healthcare workers might resort to self-medication or inappropriate use of prescription medicines as a coping mechanism for stress, fatigue, pain, insomnia, or emotional distress.
“While such actions may initially appear to offer relief, they may delay access to appropriate care and increase the risk of worsening mental health outcomes if left unaddressed,” Mwabu stated.
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Mwabu further expressed concern that stigma, fear of judgement, and concerns about confidentiality continued to prevent some healthcare workers from seeking timely psychological support.
“This culture of silence risks allowing manageable conditions to escalate into more serious mental health challenges that are harder to address,” he said.
Mwabu warned that failure to urgently strengthen staff mental health and wellbeing systems might undermine the effectiveness of the health workforce.
He said this could have potential implications for clinical judgement, service quality, and patient safety across health facilities.
“MQHZ strongly emphasises that protecting the mental wellbeing of healthcare workers is not optional but essential to safeguarding patient safety, strengthening workforce resilience, and ensuring the long-term effectiveness of Zambia’s healthcare system,” Mwabu said.
He called for the urgent establishment of confidential counselling and psychological support services within all health facilities in Zambia.
Mwabu said this would ensure healthcare workers had safe, accessible, and stigma-free avenues for professional support.
He further urged health facility management teams to prioritise staff wellbeing initiatives and ensure the effective functioning of counselling services.
Mwabu also called on the Ministry of Health to provide clear policy direction, standards, and resource allocation for staff mental health programmes.
“Provincial and District Health Offices should ensure coordination, monitoring, and effective implementation at all levels,” he said.
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