Socioeconomic Impact of COVID-19 on Medical Doctors in Cameroon

Background: Crises, be it health or insecurity, almost always have behavioural, social and economic, repercussions. We conducted a descriptive study on the socio-economic impact of the Covid-19 crisis on Cameroonian doctors through an electronic survey. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study conducted from May to June 2020 through an online survey using Google Forms. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, the activities practiced, the consumption of narcotics, inter-professional relationships and income losses were recorded. Included were all medical personnel residing on Cameroonian territory. Results: In all, there were 253 participants, 56.5% of whom were women. The ten regions of the country were represented. Up to 93.3% of respondents acknowledged having increased their social activities. During this pandemic, 5.5% of respondents admitted to having increased their alcohol consumption, 1.2% admitted to having consumed psychotropic drugs and 2% felt that there was an increase in tensions in the workplace during confinement. In addition, 220 participants declared that the rhythm of their professional activities decreased and 29.6% of the participants estimated a loss of income of 50% to 75%. Conclusion: This crisis has led to a considerable drop in the professional activities and income of Cameroonian doctors. The management of a health crisis should also integrate the social and financial management of health personnel.