Hospitals and Healthcare

Hospitals are struggling to hold on to nurses and other professionals, staff are traumatized and the influx of patients feels like it's coming out of a fire hose, doctors say.

The Covid-19 pandemic, entering its third year with 800,000 people dead in the US alone, could damage the health industry for years to come, they predict.

"It feels like you are drinking from a fire hose with no way to control that flow," Dr. John Hick, an emergency physician at Hennepin Healthcare in Minnesota, told reporters Tuesday.

"I have been practicing for 25 years in the emergency department and every shift I am working these days is like the worst shift in my career."

Health-care professionals are tasked with a professional responsibility of responding to the health and well-being of the people for whom they care. But what about their well-being?

In the weeks and months following mass trauma, such as the shootings in Christchurch, participating in physical activity can help individuals and communities deal with stress, anxiety and grief.

As thousands process the emotional impact of being affected by the Australian bushfires, a University of Melbourne expert gives some tips on providing support