Our nurses deserve much better
Malayan Nurses Union president Saaidah Athman said the average starting salary for nurses is around RM1,800, with new recruits placed under the Employees Provident Fund scheme instead of the civil service pension scheme.
Meanwhile, the starting salary of a U29 grade nurse with a nursing diploma begins at RM1,797 in the public sector.
A RM100 allowance is paid to specialist nurses with advanced qualifications in the form of post-basic incentive allowance.
'All these will not attract the younger generation to nursing. They would definitely choose to go to the private sector or overseas, where the salaries are better and there is some flexibility in working hours.
'The workload is also rising with the increasing number of patients. Some have to do double duty with tasks not limited to nursing care, but also administrative work, moving patients across units, pushing medicine trolleys to the pharmacy and so on.
'So, one can imagine how exhausted nurses here are compared to overseas, where nurses only focus on their respective nursing care duties,' she said.
She added that the transition to the 45-hour work week is not helping at all.
Aside from resignations and low intakes, she said fewer colleges are offering nursing courses, which has impacted the number of prospective nurses joining the workforce.
'The Health Ministry must fix the nursing system by offering attractive incentives and flexible working hours,' she said, adding that the post-basic incentive allowance must also be reviewed as RM100 is too low.
'Nurses are paid RM3,000 and above for post-basic allowance overseas, and in private practice in Asia, it is about RM500,' Saaidah noted.
Independent health advocate Dr Sean Thum agreed, saying that Malaysian nurses are drawn abroad due to the very real possibility of a more balanced life there.
Therefore, he said, raising remuneration is key in ensuring adequate manpower in public healthcare.
'We don't pay well enough. Indeed, we are lacking in staff, so the existing staff will have to shoulder more work,' he said.
In a statement, Senator Dr RA Lingeshwaran said if the government, particularly the Public Service Department (JPA), continues with the 45-hour work week within the 'already crippled' healthcare system, it would lead more healthcare workers quitting.
'JPA has to bear responsibility if this fails,' he said, adding that the move to increase the work week to 45 hours is insensitive and highly risky.
'I have engaged with many nursing associations and unions within the Health Ministry, and the majority have expressed that they will not be able to endure it if the workload continues to increase without any form of compensation or resolution to their welfare,' said the former director of Hospital Sungai Bakap in Penang.
The morale of healthcare workers is currently at its lowest point, he added.
'What is needed is not an added burden but support, incentives and recognition for their sacrifices in safeguarding the health of the people every day.
'Don't wait until public hospitals collapse before pointing fingers. If JPA continues to be rigid, then they will be the ones held accountable by the people,' he said.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad had said recently that the country is facing a critical shortage of nurses.
'We have also taken various approaches, including increasing the number of trainees to 1,000, but it still does not meet the shortfall,' he was quoted as saying on June 29.
A total of 6,919 healthcare workers under Health Ministry left for the private sector between 2020 and 2024. Of this total, 2,141 were nurses, comprising 1,754 permanent and 387 contract appointees.
If the current trajectory continues, the shortage of nurses is projected to reach almost 60% by 2030.
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