Cuepacs rejects proposal to hire Indonesian nurses for public hospitals
Its president Datuk Dr Adnan Mat said the proposal was unsuitable as many local nursing graduates had yet to receive permanent or contract appointments.
"Many nursing graduates who have completed their studies are still waiting for placement, with some having waited up to eight months without any offers," he said in a statement today.
Adnan said local nurses are trained under strict standards set by the Health Ministry, and hiring foreign nurses who may not have undergone comparable training could compromise the quality of public healthcare services.
He said priority should be given to local nurses who graduated under the promotion-by-appointment programme and are still awaiting permanent positions.
"They should be prioritised to fill vacancies in government hospitals," he said.
Adnan said the country's policy also stipulates that priority for public sector employment must be given to Malaysians, in line with national interest.
He said local nurses are better attuned to the cultural, religious and social sensitivities of the population, which is crucial for communication and treatment based on local values.
As such, Cuepacs urged the ministry to focus on expediting the recruitment of local nurses and to develop long-term strategies to address healthcare staffing shortages.
"Solutions such as increasing the intake of nurse trainees at the ministry's training institutes, expanding promotion-by-appointment opportunities, and improving incentives and benefits for local nurses would be more accurate and sustainable," he said.
He also said Cuepacs is open to discussions with the ministry to find the most effective way to resolve the nursing shortage without affecting job prospects and the welfare of local healthcare workers.
On Aug 5, the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Johor Baru proposed a strategic collaboration with hospitals in Malaysia to enable nurses from Indonesia to work here.
Its Consul General Sigit S. Widiyanto said this would be a win-win situation as about 70 per cent of international patients in Malaysia are from Indonesia.
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