Heavy workloads and staff shortages leave staff with physical and psychological problems
More than one-third of disciplined services officers suffer from depression because of their heavy workload, which leaves them with no proper meal or toilet time, a survey has found.
Twenty-one per cent of ambulance officers polled and 17 per cent of correctional services officers have had suicidal thoughts. Thirty-seven per cent of ambulancemen and 33 per cent of correctional services officers say they are mildly or seriously depressed.
The survey, conducted by the Fire Services Department Ambulancemen's Union and a Correctional Services Department union, polled 1,189 ambulancemen and 2,395 correctional services officers.
A survey spokesman yesterday cited warden-to-inmate ratios to highlight the increase in workload behind the depression.
'Now the proportion of wardens to inmates is one to 60 or 70. That's too much for a prison warden,' said Johnny Man Chi-keung of the Correctional Services Department Assistant Officers General Association. He said the proportion was one to 20 in the 1980s, but the government had stopped recruiting staff since then.