PETALING JAYA: A lack of remuneration for Malaysian nurses is one of the reasons why they leave to work in other countries where the pay is better, says a nursing department leader.
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) M. Kandiah Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences nursing department head Liew Siew Fun said nurses are highly regarded in developed countries and given recognition for their role in healthcare.
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She said it is also crucial for hospitals to provide a career pathway for our nurses to allow them to upgrade their skills.
“It’s unwise to increase the number of nurses to overcome the shortage without any emphasis on competency,” she said in an interview.
On the recruitment of foreign nurses to compensate the shortage, Liew said such a move will not resolve the issue totally.
“Foreign nurses may not be familiar with local healthcare practices while the language barrier is another problem. This could create a dangerous situation for our patients.
“The funds we spend on recruiting foreign nurses can be invested on upgrading the skills of our nurses. We should be focusing on quality and not churn out nurses to fulfil quantity,” she added.
Liew said Singapore has enticed nurses with not just better salaries but also other attractive benefits which have led to about 70% of Malaysian nurses crossing the border to work there.
“Not everyone wants to be away from their family. We need to find out why our nurses are leaving for Singapore,” she said.
Her colleague, Asst Prof Dr Thavamalar Paramasivam, said the decision for nurses to seek opportunities overseas is not just about financial gain, but also about finding an environment where their professional skills and human compassion are acknowledged and valued.
She claimed that local nurses are overworked and undergo constant physical and mental stress due to the long hours they serve to make up for the shortage of manpower.
She also said annual leave benefits for nurses in the private sector are also inadequate as they are only given between 14 and 16 days leave on average.
But those working overseas, such as in the Middle East, are given up to 36 days leave per year, she added.
R. Letchmi Devi, a retired nurse of 30 years who now lectures at a private medical college, said higher salaries are the main factor that push Malaysian nurses to leave for overseas stints.
Compared to the basic salary of RM2,000 here, she said they can make more than RM10,000 in Singapore and the Middle East.
“Malaysian nurses are in demand overseas and are the preferred choice compared to those from other countries. Nurses specialising in midwifery can earn much more,” she said.
Sapiah Abdul Hadi, a nurse of 41 years who has served in senior positions in both the government and private sector, said it is imperative to provide the current generation of nurses a conducive work environment to retain them in the service as job satisfaction is another important factor apart from financial gain.
“Upgrading of skills and continuous learning are essential for nurses to keep up with changes in the profession.
“However, due to the shortage of nurses, they need to wait for their turn to upgrade their skills,” said Sapiah.
Poly-Tech Mara College dean of Bio-Industry and Health Science Hasmawati Yahya said demand for nurses is rising.
“If we cannot compete with the salary offered overseas, then at least we should offer other benefits such as opportunities to improve their skills and better medical perks,” she said.
