Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on income and opportunities of ophthalmologists in India: Ophthalmologists' Workplace Expectations and Satisfaction Survey (OWESS) Report 1.
Indian J Ophthalmol
; 69(8): 2189-2194, 2021 08.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34304208
ABSTRACT
Purpose:
To evaluate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the income and surgical training opportunities among the ophthalmologists in India and their opinion on salary reduction during this period.Methods:
A questionnaire in the form of a Google survey was sent to ophthalmologists across India on May 1, 2021. The data collected until May 11, 2021 was analyzed.Results:
A total of 1057 ophthalmologists all over India participated in the survey. Of the respondents, 559 (52.9%) were women and 730 (69.1%) were young ophthalmologists (below the age of 40 years). Salary reduction was reported by 569 (53.8%) of the respondents. The categories suffering the maximum salary reduction were - young ophthalmologists (407, 55.8%) (P < 0.001), women (304, 54.4%) (P < 0.001), and private sector employees (457, 67%) (P < 0.001). More women ophthalmologists (438, 78.4%) felt it was unfair to reduce the salary during the pandemic, as compared to men (330, 66.3%) (P < 0.001). A reduction in surgical training opportunities was reported by 689 (65.2%) of ophthalmologists. The categories who suffered the maximum loss of surgical training opportunities were young ophthalmologists (565, 77.4%) (P < 0.001), women ophthalmologists (415, 74.2%) (P < 0.001), and ophthalmologists in the government sector (147, 82.6%) (P < 0.001).Conclusion:
Ophthalmologists in India, especially women and the younger professionals, had to face salary reduction and loss of surgical training opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most ophthalmologists in India do not favor a reduction in salary. There is a need to formulate policies to safeguard ophthalmologists, especially women and younger generation from future crises in training, employment, and income.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Ophthalmologists
/
COVID-19
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
En
Journal:
Indian J Ophthalmol
Year:
2021
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
India