KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry’s review has shown that no nurses have moved from the ministry to work in the private sector within the country.
Instead, those who left the civil service have either migrated overseas or quit due to personal reasons.
“According to records from the Malaysian Nursing Board (LJM), nurses who have left the Health Ministry’s services and retained their registration with LJM have done so due to migration abroad or for personal reasons,” the ministry said in a parliamentary written reply dated Aug 21.
“The ministry is aware of the shortage of nurses in the Health Ministry’s hospitals and remains committed to increasing the recruitment of nurses to fill vacancies in the ministry’s facilities nationwide,” it added.
The ministry said as of June 30, there were a total of 69,544 nurses serving in its facilities, accounting for 23% of the total 302,208 healthcare personnel workforce.
It says several efforts have been taken to increase the number of nurses and ensure continuity of healthcare services at its facilities.
Among them is offering permanent appointments for UD5 nurses and increasing the intake of Nursing Diploma trainees from the ministry’s training institute from 1,000 in 2023 to 3,000 in 2025.
The Higher Education Ministry has also ended the moratorium on diploma in nursing programme on Aug 1, 2024.
The LJM has also relaxed entry requirements for the Diploma in Nursing programme for SPM graduates to boost enrolment.
Under the Public Service Remuneration System, nurses received the first phase salary adjustment of 8%, which came into effect on Dec 1, 2024. The second phase where a 7% adjustment will be provided will come into effect on Jan 1, 2026.
For newly appointed nurses, the starting salaries under SSPA have also been adjusted to RM1,974 from RM1,797 for Grade U5 and RM2,580 for nurses at Grade U9 from RM2,429.
They are also entitled to various incentives under SSPA which includes Critical Service Incentive Payment of RM150 per month for Grade U5 nurses and RM165 per month for Grade U9 nurses; Post-Basic Incentive Payment of RM100 per month; incentive for treating psychiatric, tuberculosis, and leprosy patients of RM100 per month; remote area incentive ranging from RM135 to RM210 and air healthcare service incentive payment.
Mental health and psychosocial support are also provided to nurses including access to counselling, telecounseling through Talian Heal and mental health screening, among others.
The ministry was responding to a question by Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin(PN-Masjid Tanah) on the measures taken to address the shortage of nurses and the psychosocial support provided to them.
