
Johor to deploy 100 volunteers to ease hospital workload
State Health and Environment Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon announced the initiative after discussions between Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi and Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
'This is a short-term measure while awaiting long-term solutions from the Ministry of Health, including increased training quotas and additional personnel for Johor,' Ling said during a medical equipment handover ceremony at Sultan Ismail Hospital.
The volunteers, part of the Southern Volunteers initiative, will handle non-medical tasks such as patient registration, document handling, and managing patient flow.
'Their role will allow medical staff to focus on clinical duties,' Ling added.
Recruitment for the first batch of 100 volunteers is now open, with a one-week training programme to prepare them for hospital operations.
The state is considering providing an allowance as appreciation for their service.
Johor currently faces a shortage of 4,600 healthcare workers, including specialists, nurses, and support staff.
Southern Johor, with the highest patient load, remains a priority for staffing allocations.
A joint task force between the state and federal health ministry will meet monthly to address manpower planning and training capacity.
'This volunteer programme is a temporary but crucial step in alleviating pressure on hospitals,' Ling said. – Bernama
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Fill them up STAT!: PM tells MOH to speed up recruitment to fill 4,000 doctor vacancies, says Fahmi
PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry has been ordered to simplify the bureaucratic process to expedite the filling of 4,352 positions at health facilities, including the appointment of contract doctors, says Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. The Communications Minister, who is also the Madani government spokesperson, said the issue of the posts was raised by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the Cabinet meeting on Friday (July 25). "The Prime Minister has requested that the bureaucratic process, which is seen as possibly causing this delay, be expedited, given that the ministry had originally expected most or all of the positions to only be filled by November. "But the Prime Minister believes this is too late. So the process will be expedited," he said at the Weekly Media Conference here on Friday. Fahmi said the filling of the posts needed to be expedited because there was an urgent need to fill more than 4,000 vacancies in the health sector. He said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad had given a commitment that the filling of the posts would be shortened without compromising on procedures and would be expedited. Last Wednesday, Anwar at the Appreciation Announcement for Malaysians said the government would expedite the filling of 4,352 posts in health facilities, including the appointment of contract doctors this year because there was an urgent need for the health care sector in the country.- Bernama

Barnama
4 hours ago
- Barnama
Malnutrition Stunts Children's Growth In Laos
A Loa village was hit by heavy rainfall on July 24. Laos faces a major task in tackling malnutrition among children (illustration photo). Photo credit: Vientiane Times PHNOM PENH, July 25 (Bernama) -- Laos is facing a malnutrition plight among children, with nearly 44 per cent of children under the age of five affected by stunted growth. There are about 385,000 such cases in the country, with 20 per cent of Lao children already stunted by the age of six months, reported the Vientiane Times. According to the Lao Social Indicator Survey, nearly two million people in Laos, mostly women and children, suffer from some form of undernutrition. bootstrap slideshow 'Chronic malnutrition remains a major concern, with 35.6 per cent of children under five showing signs of long-term undernourishment,' said the news report. Child food poverty among children in the Southeast Asian region has been a pressing issue, largely due to poverty and access to quality food in remote areas. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) last year's report titled 'Child Food Poverty: Nutrition Deprivation in Early Childhood,' revealed that poor diet quality contributes to child malnutrition in Southeast Asia. 'Twenty-six per cent of children under five have stunted growth, more than half suffer from micronutrient deficiencies, and child overweight and obesity are a rising concern,' said UNICEF. According to the report, around the world, one in four children is living in severe child food poverty in early childhood, amounting to about 180 million children under the age of five. 'Severe child food poverty is driving child undernutrition. The prevalence of severe child food poverty is three times higher in countries with a high prevalence of child stunting,' said the global agency.


The Sun
6 hours ago
- The Sun
Teo joins tower running champ in 828-step Putrajaya climb
PUTRAJAYA: Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching joined national tower running champion Soh Wai Ching in a Tower Run Clinic, scaling 828 steps from the ministry lobby to her office on Level 37. Teo completed the climb in nine minutes and 26 seconds, showcasing her fitness alongside ministry staff. The event, which started at 8 am, included senior division secretary Mazlan Abd Mutalib and 50 ministry employees. Teo urged Malaysians to adopt healthier lifestyles, drawing inspiration from Soh's achievements. She praised Soh, a former world number one in tower running, and expressed hope for his continued success internationally. Soh commended Teo's performance, saying, 'I would like to congratulate Teo for successfully climbing 828 steps in under 10 minutes. She was fast and energetic.' - Bernama