KUALA LUMPUR, August 11 — Dzulkefly Ahmad has expressed openness to a study by the Public Service Department (JPA) on importing Indonesian nurses to address nursing shortages in the public health care system.
Public Service Commission (SPA) chairman Ahmad Jailani Muhamed Yunus reportedly told reporters last Saturday that proposals to recruit Indonesian nurses for government hospitals in Malaysia need to be studied by JPA and the Ministry of Health (MOH).
“As the Minister of Health, I welcome the Public Service Commission’s (SPA) proposal to conduct a detailed study, and I have directed the Ministry of Health to give full cooperation to the Public Service Department (JPA),” Dzulkefly posted on X today.
“Currently, KKM will continue its work to overcome shortage of nurses through a multi-pronged approach as stated before. Admittedly, no quick fixes to overcome this arguably self-inflicted dire strait situation (e.g moratorium on private nursing schools (lifted 2024) and no new intake in ILKKM during pandemic for two years).
“Whatever the outcome of the study, I have emphasised that it must take into account the interests of the people, the welfare of Ministry of Health staff, and the effectiveness of the country’s health care delivery system.”
The Johor state government has welcomed a proposal by the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Johor Baru for Indonesian nurses to serve in Malaysia to address manpower shortages, as Indonesia has a surplus of nurses.
Johor State Health and Environment Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon reportedly said Saturday that importing Indonesian nurses would not only help resolve problems in the public sector, but also in the private sector.
Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi wrote on Facebook last month that the state was facing a “serious and critical” shortage of health care workers in major hospitals, including specialist doctors, medical officers, assistant medical officers, nurses, and other support staff.
He said that in some wards in government hospitals in Johor, a nurse has to manage more than 10 to 14 patients in one shift, far higher than the ideal nurse-to-patient ratio of 1:6 or a maximum of 1:8.
Last June, Dzulkefly acknowledged a critical shortage of nurses in the public health service, saying, “The MOH is having difficulty finding nurses because there are positions available, but no one wants them.”
The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs), however, has objected to recruiting Indonesian nurses for public hospitals in Malaysia, pointing out that many local nursing graduates are waiting up to eight months for appointments.
Cuepacs claimed that foreign-trained nurses might not meet local standards, stressing for job opportunities to be prioritised for locals above foreigners.
