KOTA KINABALU: Three key strategies under the country’s health workforce reform are being strengthened to address the critical shortage of nurses, says Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (pic).
He said the three strategies involved increasing the number of nursing graduates, expanding career pathways and implementing direct recruitment and greater autonomy in staffing management.
“Of the 73,281 Grade U5 nurse positions, there are currently 10,557 vacancies in health facilities,” he said in his speech at the Health Ministry Training Institute Sabah Zone Convocation yesterday, Bernama reported.
Dzulkefly said the move was important in meeting the country’s health workforce needs amid the increasingly complex challenges facing the health system.
Under the strategy to increase the nursing workforce, he said, the intake of trainee nurses had been increased to 3,000 a year from last year.
“To expand this strategy, the ministry aims to outsource up to 2,000 trainees a year to Public Higher Education Institutions and Private Higher Education Institutions.”
In addition, he said, four training institutes in Kuantan, Kuala Terengganu, Muar and Penang would reopen by October 2027, providing additional capacity for about 500 trainees.
“This brings the total capacity of the Diploma in Nursing programme to 5,500 trainees a year,” he said.
For the second strategy, Dzulkefly said the ministry would roll out 15 On-the-Job Training programmes this September to enable staff to enhance their expertise without having to leave their workplace for long periods.
“We are also expanding the career pathway for community nurses to become nurses through the Transition Diploma.”
Under the third strategy, Dzulkefly said the Public Service Department had approved an exemption from Interim Contract Appointments for eligible ILKKM Diploma in Nursing graduates.
“Since July 9, the ministry has also been granted autonomy in staffing management to reduce bureaucracy and facilitate the direct placement of graduates in the field,” he added.
