Pandemic preparedness: The case for sentinel surveillance of doctors’ burnout

Abstract

Doctors’ wellbeing is an essential, yet often overlooked component of resilient health systems. Burnout, often described as the ‘canary in the coalmine’, offers a measurable, validated indicator of workforce strain that has direct implications for patient safety, quality of care and crisis response. This article argues for the integration of doctors’ burnout into sentinel surveillance frameworks as part of South Africa’s pandemic preparedness strategy. By embedding burnout monitoring within existing occupational health and surveillance systems, policymakers can generate actionable data, strengthen workforce resilience, and safeguard system performance during future epidemics.