Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

You Know What Would Help Exhausted Doctors and Nurses? More Money!

You Know What Would Help Exhausted Doctors and Nurses? More Money!

As health care workers prepare to enter the third year of the pandemic, we are experiencing disillusionment and burnout on an extraordinary scale. Many of us have confronted more death and sickness than ever before in our careers.
As a physician at a teaching hospital that was one of the hardest hit in New York, I have witnessed firsthand the mayhem that this pandemic has brought on. Some of my colleagues harbor frustration and even anger at patients who have chosen to remain unvaccinated or not wear masks and now are hospitalized with Covid-19, imposing additional risks to us and our families.

In this environment, attrition is inevitable. A survey of health care workers in the second half of 2020 found that 1 in 5 doctors and even more nurses were considering leaving their practice within two years. Today, hospitals are dealing with staffing shortages even as we work amid another viral surge.

Federal and state governments can and should do something to help. They should start by providing hazard pay to health care workers who continue to serve on the front lines of the pandemic.

Hazard pay is defined by the U.S. Labor Department as “additional pay for performing hazardous duty or work involving physical hardship.” Federal employees who work directly with “virulent biologicals” like the coronavirus may already qualify for such pay. A 25 percent hazard bonus is authorized for federal employees working directly with or close to substances “of micro-organic nature which when introduced into the body are likely to cause serious disease or fatality and for which protective devices do not afford complete protection.”

This definition certainly reflects the situation of health care workers in emergency rooms, intensive care units and medical wards today. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 100,000 health care workers may have died of Covid-19 between January 2020 and May 2021.

Though hazard pay won’t eliminate our professional risk, it will serve as a concrete and much-needed demonstration of appreciation to the doctors, nurses, respiratory technicians and other workers who continue to put their lives — and the health of their families — on the line for the public good.

In Congress, Democrats as well as Republicans have proposed legislation for federally funded hazard pay for health workers, but no bill has been passed into law. In May 2020, the House of Representatives passed a relief package called the Heroes Act that authorized $200 billion in hazard pay for essential workers — but it fizzled out in the Senate in the absence of sufficient Republican support. That same month, Senator Mitt Romney, Republican of Utah, proposed a “Patriot Pay” bonus for essential workers up to $12 an hour for three months. His proposal was also not approved.

Some states, such as Pennsylvania, have provided limited hazard pay using federal money from the $2.2 trillion pandemic relief bill that Congress passed in March 2020. Other states, including Massachusetts and Maine, have negotiated with unions to offer hazard pay to health workers in state facilities. Yet any bonuses offered have been modest, sporadic and temporary.

I am not under the illusion that hazard pay will cure the burnout and disaffection that is widespread in health care. Some of it undoubtedly predates the pandemic. However, hazard pay would recognize the outsize burdens that have been placed on health care providers working in once-in-a-century circumstances and acknowledge that society has an obligation to compensate us for our sacrifices.

Moreover, much of the essential work in hospitals is performed by low-wage workers — medical trainees, nursing assistants, custodians and orderlies — who often scarcely earn a living wage to support a family. The custodian who cleans the exam rooms in our clinic earns less than $20 an hour. Hazard pay for such workers could make a real financial difference.

How should such pay be provided? First, Congress must make federal funds available for this purpose. Then, states should determine eligibility criteria and wage thresholds. The most straightforward policy would be to include all health workers (medical and nonmedical) in facilities in Covid-19 hot spots.

To keep things simple and not penalize low-wage workers, the bonuses should be a fixed amount of money, rather than a percentage of pay, and should be authorized on a monthly or quarterly basis to discourage attrition. They should continue to be paid until there is a sustained reduction in hospitalizations. If funds are scarce, eligibility could be limited for those at the highest end of the pay scale — typically attending physicians like me.

Whatever the specific plan, for many health care workers the exact amount will not be as important as the gratitude and acknowledgment that it represents. Medicine is a humanitarian profession, and health care workers have a duty to care for the sick. But social order also relies on reciprocity and fairness.

Hazard pay would publicly acknowledge health care workers’ sacrifices and provide a tangible token of thanks beyond the clapping of hands or the public banging of pots and pans. This is about showing support, just as we do for our troops during war.


=============
* Dr. Jauhar is a cardiologist in New York who writes frequently about medical care and public health.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
×