JOHOR BARU: The Johor state government has appealed to the Health Ministry to urgently fill 513 nursing vacancies at Pasir Gudang Hospital to enable the facility to operate at full capacity.
State Health and Environment Committee Chairman Ling Tian Soon revealed that the hospital currently operates with only 343 nurses, leaving a 40% shortfall from its approved headcount of 856.
Due to the acute staffing shortage, the 304-bed hospital is currently utilising only 157 beds across nine wards, though state authorities aim to have the facility fully operational by December 2026.
Ling noted that medical officer staffing remains stable, with 197 doctors currently on duty and only nine vacancies remaining.
"We hope the ministry can look into filling these nursing positions as soon as possible so the hospital can function at its maximum capacity for the public," Ling told reporters on Thursday (Nov 5) following the launch of a river rehabilitation programme for Sungai Sengkang, Sungai Segget, and Sungai Danga in Taman Sentosa.
On environmental matters, Ling, also the Yong Peng assemblyman, reported significant progress in the state's river cleanup initiatives, with the number of polluted rivers dropping from 14 in 2023 to seven currently.
The remaining polluted waterways are Sungai Tukang Batu, Sungai Danga, Sungai Kempas, Sungai Sengkuang, Sungai Pandan, Sungai Segget, and Sungai Tampoi.
"Johor previously topped the national list with 28 polluted rivers, as recorded by the Department of Environment in March 2017," Ling said, adding that targeted state government interventions have successfully reduced that total from a high of 23 in recent years down to seven.
