Background Emergency departments (EDs) are high-pressure environments prone to staff burnout, emotional fatigue and interprofessional tension. In early 2024, a serious interpersonal conflict at Labuan Hospital’s ED—set against the backdrop of COVID-19 legacy stress—exposed deeper issues in team trust, inclusion and psychological safety. Recognising that punitive or disciplinary approaches would not address the root causes, departmental leadership opted for a relational and culturally grounded healing response. Intervention The Labuan Emergency Medicine Games (LEM-G) was a month-long initiative designed to restore ukhuwah —a sense of brotherhood and belonging—through inclusive, team-based engagement. Around 100 staff from across roles (doctors, nurses, assistant medical officers, attendants, drivers) were randomly assigned to three symbolic teams: Red Phoenix, Yellow Fury and Jurassic Green. Together, they participated in ‘The Quest for the Ibnu Sina Cup’—a series of low-cost, diverse activities including physical challenges, quizzes, creative design and online games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG). Ibnu Sina (Avicenna), a Persian physician-philosopher, was chosen as a symbol of healing, unity and excellence. Outcomes LEM-G helped rebuild psychological safety—a shared belief that individuals can express themselves without fear of retribution—while flattening hierarchies and reigniting workplace joy. Feedback collected via WhatsApp, informal debriefs and direct staff input pointed to increased morale, engagement and cross-disciplinary connection. The intervention sparked spontaneous follow-up activities and left a sustained cultural imprint. Conclusion When leadership is human-centred, inclusive and culturally attuned, even small interventions can catalyse profound transformation in team dynamics and emotional well-being.
Hanifah et al. (Mon,) studied this question.