High alert, bring in the nurses!

Despite a one-year window from November 2023 for expediting foreign nurse recruitment, the process has stalled due to requirements from various ministries. The problem is made worse by local nurses taking up job offers overseas for higher pay while many also left the profession following the stress of the pandemic years. — Photo: The Star

THE long lines for admission or a medical procedure at hospitals are a grim indicator of how overwhelmed Malaysia’s healthcare system is.

The shortage of nurses has only exacerbated the situation, with doctors harried by the surge in patients after the Covid-19 pandemic.