Features of the occupational prevalence in health workers in the Republic of Bashkortostan over 2017–2022

Abstract

Introduction. The labour of health workers (HW) is associated with the impact of adverse factors of various nature including chemical, physical, biological, high neuro-emotional stress, physical activity. All these factors, high workload, round-the-clock working with night shifts, unpredictability of the state of health and responsibility for the life of the patient, high olccupational activity, constant psycho-emotional and intellectual stress make the labour of HW to be a complex and responsible type of human activity. Over recent (2020–2021) years, due to the emergence of a highly contagious Covid-19 viral infection, health workers have been in direct contact with patients. Objective. To determine the features of occupational morbidity among the HR in the Republic of Bashkortostan over 2017–2022 including the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods. Data on occupational diseases in HW over 2017–2022 were studied on the base of the materials of the Republican Center for Occupational Pathology of the Ufa Scientific Research Institute of Occupational Medicine and Human Ecology. There were evaluated reports of the final diagnosis of an occupational disease, acts of investigation of occupational diseases, sanitary and hygienic characteristics of working conditions, a consolidated annual report on the activities of the Center. Results. The level of occupational morbidity increased from 0.6‱ in 2017 to 5,6‱ during 2021, i.e. increased by 9.3 times. The nosological, gender, age, occupational and experience structure of morbidity has changed. In 88.8% of cases, the diagnosis of an acute occupational disease due to coronavirus infection was established posthumously: in 2020 – 100%, in 2021 – 86.3%. There were 0.72 deaths from this infection per 1,000 health workers. Conclusions. To preserve the health and occupational longevity of HW, especially in the context of an epidemiological rise in infectious diseases, it is necessary to strengthen priority measures for primary and secondary prevention, provide personal protective equipment, strengthen disinfection measures, establish a special regime of work and rest, and other preventive and social protection measures.