Latest news with #SigitSWidiyanto
BusinessToday
a day ago
- Health
- BusinessToday
MOH Yet To Receive Formal Request On Indonesian Nurse Proposal
The Health Ministry (MOH) has not held formal talks or received an official request on a proposal to employ Indonesian nurses for Malaysian public hospitals, Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said. He said the ministry has taken note of remarks by Indonesian Consul General Sigit S Widiyanto and concerns raised by the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services, the Malayan Nurses Union and other stakeholders. 'No official discussions have been held, and the ministry has yet to receive any formal request,' he stressed. It was previously reported that Sigit had proposed the move to address Malaysia's nursing shortage, highlighting Indonesia's surplus of qualified nurses. He said recruitment had begun at the state level with a Johor hospital but would still require approvals from the MOH, the Malaysian Nursing Board and other agencies.
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Malay Mail
No official talks with Jakarta to hire Indonesian nurses for Malaysian public hospitals, says health minister
KANGAR, Aug 9 — The Health Ministry today said there have been no discussions or official requests on a proposal to hire nurses from Indonesia for government hospitals. Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad said the ministry is aware of the matter raised by Indonesian Consul-General in Johor Bahru Sigit S. Widiyanto, which has received positive response from Malaysian health and worker groups like Cuepacs and the Malayan Nurses Association. 'The fact is there has been no official discussion and the Health Ministry has not received any formal request,' he was quoted by Berita Harian as telling reporters here after attending the 2025 Healthy for All Carnival in conjunction with the Silver Jubilee of the reign of the Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail. Widiyanto had said the move to bring in Indonesian nurses to serve in Malaysian government hospitals would be a 'win-win' situation, noting that about 70 per cent of foreign patients in Malaysia are from Indonesia. Dzulkefly said Malaysia's Heath Ministry is working on the placement of community nurses who graduated from the Promotion Through Appointment programme but are still waiting for permanent postings. He said about 1,800 such nurses nationwide would be placed in their existing localities to fill vacancies, with the process now underway. 'We expect their appointments will at least help fill the existing nurse shortages, and the process will be completed as soon as possible,' he said.
Free Malaysia Today
5 days ago
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
Indonesia offers nurses to address staffing shortage
Indonesia has already begun state-level collaboration with a hospital in Johor, including starting the process of recruiting nursing candidates. PETALING JAYA : The Indonesian consulate-general in Johor Bahru has proposed allowing Indonesian nurses to work in Malaysia to alleviate the manpower shortage in the healthcare sector. The consul-general of Indonesia in Johor Bahru, Sigit S Widiyanto, said the move would benefit both countries as Malaysia is facing a shortage of healthcare workers — including nurses — while Indonesia has a surplus in the field. In a Bernama report, Sigit expressed confidence that Indonesians would have no difficulty adjusting to living in Malaysia as both countries share a similar language and culture. He also said Indonesian nurses are well qualified to work in Malaysia as they are already employed in other countries like Australia, Japan, Germany, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Singapore. 'If Indonesian nurses can work in those countries, surely they can work in Malaysia. 'Asean member countries have agreed that nursing is among the professions open for cross-border mobility. Of course, there needs to be skill alignment and compliance with existing regulations, but that shouldn't be a major issue.' Sigit said Indonesia has already begun state-level collaboration with a hospital in Johor, including starting the process of recruiting candidates. He said this required approval from the health ministry, the Malaysia Nursing Board and other relevant parties. Sigit also said the consulate plans to focus on recruiting nurses from the Riau and Riau Islands provinces as a starting point to place healthcare professionals in Malaysian hospitals. He noted that there are health education institutions under Indonesia's health ministry which could serve as key sources for nursing candidates. 'We've already discussed establishing a twinning programme to allow graduates in Indonesia to pursue six months of further study in Malaysia before starting work here,' he said. Earlier, Johor menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi said major hospitals in Johor Bahru are facing a critical shortage of healthcare staff, with some nurses managing 10 to 14 patients per shift. He said the ideal ratio is 1:6. The International Council of Nurses last year called on the government to develop a long-term plan to address a critical shortage of nurses. The council said Malaysia's shortage – projected to reach nearly 60% of the total nursing workforce by 2030 – had been exacerbated by high-income nations hiring experienced nurses from Asia, attracting them with better pay and working conditions. Last June, the health ministry said it was addressing 6,787 vacant nursing posts caused by both existing vacancies and newly created positions following facility upgrades.
