Dr Azizan Abdul Aziz, head of the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), has confirmed that government nurses have continued to leave Malaysia in the four years since the Covid-19 outbreak began.
She said that many Health Ministry employees departed for higher-paying employment, better incentives, and less pressure in neighboring nations such as Singapore, Australia, and West Asia.Many have left for employment in West Asia, Australia, and Singapore. A new U29 grade public healthcare nurse in Malaysia makes approximately RM1,800 per month, but a fresh graduate nurse in Singapore can earn nearly five times that amount.
“Low pay in public healthcare is one of the main reasons nurses are looking for greener pastures’ in private healthcare and abroad,” according to the report.Last month, the Health Ministry informed Parliament that there would be 2,106 nursing vacancies in 2020, rising to 2,224 in 2021 and 4,420 in 2022, with the most recent figure being 6,896 last year.
Dr. Azizan stated that the government must prioritize the well-being of all health professionals, particularly nurses, in order to strengthen the health sector’s capacity to accommodate the daily growth in patient attendance at government clinics and hospitals.Last month, the Health Ministry informed Parliament that there would be 2,106 nursing vacancies in 2020, rising to 2,224 in 2021 and 4,420 in 2022, with the most recent figure being 6,896 last year.
Dr. Azizan stated that the government must prioritize the well-being of all health professionals, particularly nurses, in order to strengthen the health sector’s capacity to accommodate the daily growth in patient attendance at government clinics and hospitals.
According to Dr Azizan, there are more nurse openings in Malaysian public health institutions as a result of a number of issues, including low pay and pressure from the employer.She was cited as stating, “The nurses may also be ‘burnt out’ as they always work too much.”
The Health Ministry reported to Parliament last month that there were 2,106 open positions for nurses in 2020, 2,224 in 2021, 4,420 in 2022, and 6,896 as of the previous year.According to Dr. Azizan, in order to guarantee that the standard of the health sector can be raised to meet the daily influx of patients at government clinics and hospitals, the government must prioritize the welfare of all health professionals, especially nurses.
“In order to maintain nurses in our public health care system, their pay, as well as any allowances to which they are entitled, must be greatly enhanced.They may not be able to compete with the salaries offered in the private sector, but actions can be taken to improve nurses’ work-life balance.”Nevertheless, Malaysia’s nursing shortage is not limited to the public healthcare sector. According to the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia, the private sector will require around 9,224 additional nurses between 2023 and 2025
Source : malaymail
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