Health minister supports JPA study on recruiting Indonesian nurses
By ,
Agencies
Malaysia's Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad has welcomed a Public Service Commission (SPA) proposal to study the recruitment of Indonesian nurses for government hospitals, amid an ongoing shortage of nursing staff. The Public Service Department (JPA) and Ministry of Health (MOH) will jointly assess the feasibility, with Dzulkefly stressing that any decision must prioritise public interest, staff welfare, and the efficiency of health care delivery.The move follows a suggestion from the Indonesian Consulate General in Johor Baru, supported by the Johor state government , citing Indonesia's surplus of nurses. Johor State Health and Environment Committee chair Ling Tian Soon said such recruitment could also benefit the private sector. State leaders have warned of severe staffing gaps, with some wards seeing nurse-to-patient ratios as high as 1:14, well above the recommended 1:6 to 1:8.Dzulkefly attributed the shortages to factors including a past moratorium on private nursing schools, lifted in 2024, and the suspension of intakes at MOH training institutes during the pandemic. While the MOH is pursuing multi-pronged strategies to boost local nurse numbers, vacancies remain unfilled as fewer locals enter the profession.The proposal has met resistance from the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services ( Cuepacs ), which argues that many Malaysian nursing graduates remain unemployed for months and should be prioritised. Cuepacs also raised concerns about whether foreign-trained nurses would meet local practice standards.The JPA's study will examine the proposal's impact on the workforce and patient care before any recruitment move proceeds.
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4 days ago
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Health minister supports JPA study on recruiting Indonesian nurses
Advt By , Agencies Malaysia's Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad has welcomed a Public Service Commission (SPA) proposal to study the recruitment of Indonesian nurses for government hospitals, amid an ongoing shortage of nursing staff. The Public Service Department (JPA) and Ministry of Health (MOH) will jointly assess the feasibility, with Dzulkefly stressing that any decision must prioritise public interest, staff welfare, and the efficiency of health care move follows a suggestion from the Indonesian Consulate General in Johor Baru, supported by the Johor state government , citing Indonesia's surplus of nurses. Johor State Health and Environment Committee chair Ling Tian Soon said such recruitment could also benefit the private sector. State leaders have warned of severe staffing gaps, with some wards seeing nurse-to-patient ratios as high as 1:14, well above the recommended 1:6 to 1: attributed the shortages to factors including a past moratorium on private nursing schools, lifted in 2024, and the suspension of intakes at MOH training institutes during the pandemic. While the MOH is pursuing multi-pronged strategies to boost local nurse numbers, vacancies remain unfilled as fewer locals enter the proposal has met resistance from the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services ( Cuepacs ), which argues that many Malaysian nursing graduates remain unemployed for months and should be prioritised. Cuepacs also raised concerns about whether foreign-trained nurses would meet local practice JPA's study will examine the proposal's impact on the workforce and patient care before any recruitment move proceeds.
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