Private hospitals are urging the government to deal with the severe nursing shortage.
The Association of Private Hospitals today urged the new health minister to bring in trained foreign nurses to address the severe nursing shortage in private hospitals, which it claims is causing patient admission delays.
Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh, group president, stated that the shortage is unprecedented and that it may put additional strain on already overcrowded public hospitals as more patients seek treatment at government facilities.
They hope that the Ministry of Health, under the new leadership, will take immediate steps to address human resources in healthcare throughout the country, particularly the acute nursing shortage at private hospitals.
They urge the government to make it easier for nurses to be trained in post-specialty basic skills and to improve incentives for local nursing schools. Meanwhile, there should be an immediate effort to bring foreign nurses into Malaysia, regardless of whether they have completed basic specialised training. This will immediately help both private and public healthcare to deal with the current challenges,” he adds.
The group also wants the new government to “outsource” disease screening, particularly for noncommunicable diseases, to private hospitals.
The ability of private hospitals to assist the government in managing patients who are awaiting treatment for an extended period of time should be strengthened and continued, as it was successfully done during the peak of the pandemic.
Malaysia has one of the world’s most affordable public healthcare systems. Patients frequently prefer to do screening at public hospitals because the cost of screening at private hospitals can be prohibitively expensive for most people.
Despite numerous complaints about excessive fees, private hospitals have never indicated a desire to reduce their service fees.
Dr Zaliha Mustafa, a new face appointed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, will lead the Health Ministry, one of the most important portfolios under the leadership of a so-called “unity government.”
Dr. Zaliha told several news outlets after her appointment that she wants to get right to work.
The Sekijang MP stated that her priority would be to improve infrastructure, medical supplies, and the long-standing issue of contract doctors.
