THE doctors, nurses, pharmacists, paramedics and other healthcare professionals (HCPs) of Malaysia are burning out. A study by Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) involving 933 HCPs last May revealed that 54% of them were already reporting symptoms of burnout only three months into the pandemic. Twelve months later, it is likely that even more HCPs are experiencing deeper burnout. This is especially true as Malaysia has continued to report new highs of daily cases and deaths throughout this month. This week, we take a look at two under-appreciated reasons for burnout, two under-explored long-term implications of burnout to the health system, and two under-prioritised solutions to the issue.