Training for nurses

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MASTERSKILL Education Group Berhad (Masterskill) recently signed three memorandum of agreements (MoA) with the Health Ministry at a signing ceremony between the ministry and 31 private and public higher education institutions.

During the ceremony, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said in his speech, “My purpose for collaborating with the various public and private institutions is to ensure that we produce quality nurses.”

He added that he did not want to hear any more complaints about graduate nurses who were unable to work in clinics and hospitals.

Masterskill was the only institution that signed three agreements — the supplementary agreement and extension agreement for the nursing programme, and another for their allied health sciences programme.

The institution’s chief executive officer Datuk Seri Edmund Santhara said: “It is important for students to undergo their training in government hospitals because they will see and learn about a lot more cases there.”

He added that it was important for the institution to partner with the Health Ministry, so that their graduates have all the industry requirements to work once they graduate.

Speaking to the press later, Liow stressed that with only 31% of the places for specialised nurses filled, the government would continue to train more nurses for these specialised areas.

The other institutions which signed agreements with the ministry were Universiti Putra Malaysia, ASEANA Health Science College, Kuantan Pacific College, Allianze College of Medical Sciences, I-Systems college, Institute of Business Executives Malaysia, SEGi College Penang, SEGi College Subang Jaya, Institute of Medical Sciences Mantin, REACH College, Nilai University College, Lincoln College, Open University Malaysia, Poly-Tech College Mara Kota Baru, International Medical University, Shahputra College, SEGi College Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan College, UCSI University, Adventist College of Nursing, Winfield International College, Inti University College Nilai, AIMST University, Universiti Teknologi Mara Shah Alam, International College of Techology and Professional, SEGi College Sarawak, and Integrated College of Allied Health and Nursing.