PETALING JAYA: A one-stop centre to streamline the hiring process for foreign nurses is necessary as a stop-gap measure in addressing the critical shortage of nursing staff, says the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM).
With the implementation of a 45-hour workweek for nurses in public hospitals set to begin on Dec 1, APHM president Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh emphasised that the core issue is the insufficient number of nurses in the country.
"The fundamental problem is the lack of nurses. The likely reasons are that too few people are pursuing nursing careers, and many existing nurses are leaving Malaysia for better opportunities abroad," he said in an interview yesterday.
"While we need time to encourage people to take up nursing courses and train them, we must first resolve the immediate issue."
Dr Kuljit proposed that a unified one-stop centre dedicated to foreign nurse recruitment would simplify the hiring process for both public and private hospitals.
"This is not about bringing in foreign nurses forever. It's just for the interim period until more students graduate from nursing schools," he said.
Private hospitals, according to Dr Kuljit, felt the impact of the nurse shortage immediately after the Covid-19 pandemic and initially encountered resistance from the government in hiring foreign nurses.
"Despite being granted a one-year amnesty, later extended to three years, to bring in foreign nurses, the process proved too complex and prolonged, often taking six months to a year," he explained.
The delay, Dr Kuljit said, is caused by the disjointed hiring processes involving multiple agencies, including the Health Ministry, the Social Security Organisation, and the Immigration Department.
"While our nurses can go overseas for better opportunities within two months, it takes us six months to a year to bring a nurse to Malaysia.
"The nurses will then go elsewhere; they cannot wait so long," he added, pointing to countries like Singapore, Australia and New Zealand that offer faster recruitment processes.
Dr Kuljit stressed the urgency for the government to take action.
"They need to sit down together. All agencies should come together for a solution. We cannot have different levels of approval from various agencies; it's redundant," he said.
The Public Service Department recently issued a circular on streamlining the work hours of civil servants who do not work fixed office hours with those who work office hours.
This change would extend the total working hours, including rest days, to 45 hours a week.
If implemented, ward nurses will have an additional three shift hours a week.
However, Hartal Doktor Kontrak has opposed the new ruling, warning the government that the increased working hours, coupled with stagnant wages, would further drive the nursing brain drain to other countries.
