KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 — Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi has urged the Ministry of Health (MOH) to address staff shortages at Sultanah Aminah Johor Bahru Hospital (HSA) and other hospitals.
Onn Hafiz, who posted a video of his visit to the state hospital yesterday, complained about the “truly worrying” lack of health care workers at HSA.
His video, which included data on HSA’s staffing levels, showed that the hospital had 142 vacancies for medical officers, 220 for trained nurses, 76 for health care assistants, three for assistant medical officers, and two for pharmacy officers, as of last June 30.
HSA has 321 medical officers filling 463 positions (31 per cent vacancy rate). These do not take into account 405 contract doctors, including 311 house officers. The hospital’s nursing workforce has a 13 per cent vacancy rate at 1,433 nurses filling 1,653 positions.
The general hospital’s overall workforce had 613 vacancies (14 per cent) at 3,848 of 4,461 positions filled, excluding 497 contract staff, as of June 30.
Onn Hafiz’s video also showed staff resignation data at HSA that lost 54 personnel this year as of June 30, comprising 16 contract medical officers, 11 specialists, 10 permanent medical officers, five housemen, five nurses, one pharmacy officer, one health care assistant, and five other staff.
“Today, I wish to report that health and medicine in Johor is in a critical state,” said the Johor MB in his video.
“We at the state level call for the Ministry of Health to fulfil its promises, from the aspect of staff shortages at Pasir Gudang Hospital, HSA, and HSI (Sultan Ismail Hospital), involving more than 2,000 positions that are insufficient.
“This forced many staff to resign because of work overload that they had to endure for the sake of saving lives in Johor.
“So, to the federal government, especially the Ministry of Health, please expedite the Johor state government’s request.”
In a social media post of his video, Onn Hafiz said HSA’s emergency department will be decanted to the maternity centre and labour and delivery early next month to enable safe electrical system upgrade works.
At the same time, the project to upgrade the main electrical supply, hospital electrical and mechanical systems valued at nearly RM159 million, along with several other improvements, is also being actively carried out.
“However, there is one matter that truly worries me, which is the shortage of health care workers at HSA. I am concerned that the burden they are carrying today is already too heavy, especially since HSA is one of the main referral hospitals that receives thousands of patients from across Johor every day,” said Onn Hafiz.
According to 2025 HSA data shown in his video, the general hospital received 523,115 outpatients at specialist clinics, 111,613 emergency arrivals, and 85,753 inpatients last year. HSA’s bed occupancy rate was nearly 89 per cent in 2025, besides recording 32 births and 130 surgeries daily.
“Therefore, with all humility, I humbly request the immediate consideration and attention from the Ministry of Health Malaysia so that the issue of staff shortages at Sultanah Aminah Hospital is given priority,” said the Johor MB.
“To all frontline health care workers, thank you immensely for continuing to persevere for the people. Though tired, though weary, they still choose to show up and continue serving. I realise and acknowledge that this duty is by no means easy. Rest assured, we will not stop fighting for everything needed so that you do not continue to bear this burden alone.”
In letters to CodeBlue earlier this month, a houseman complained of a lack of facilities in HSA’s emergency department, like ECG machines, vital sign monitoring, and oxygen ports, besides deplorable toilet conditions.
A specialist highlighted severe understaffing and overwork in HSA’s cardiology department, besides insufficient beds and angiography machines, as staff at every level are tasked with excessive on-calls or double shifts.
