Health Ministry aims to address the ongoing shortage of workers in M’sia
KOTA KINABALU: To address the ongoing shortage of healthcare workers in the country, the Health Ministry is aiming to double the intake of nurse trainees.
The increase in nurse trainees will help meet current demand, particularly with private colleges resuming diploma courses in nursing as of Aug 1 this year, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni (pic).
He acknowledged the ongoing challenge of filling healthcare positions, especially with the expansion of hospitals and clinics nationwide.
“We are struggling to fill all the positions. Therefore, we will be increasing the number of nurse trainees from 1,000 to 2,000 annually,” Lukanisman said at the Health Ministry Training Institute (ILKKM) graduation ceremony on Saturday.
Currently, the nurse-to-population ratio in Sabah stands at 1:368, which is below the World Health Organisation-recommended 1:200.
Lukanisman said the ministry is committed to improving these numbers by attracting more Sabah youth to join the health sector through various programmes and initiatives.
“This year alone, ILKKM received a record-breaking 3.4 million applications, with 32% coming from Sabah,” he added.
Earlier this year, Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud announced that private colleges could once again offer diploma courses in nursing, ending a suspension in place since 2010.
Mustapha said the decision was made in light of the anticipated shortage of registered nurses to meet healthcare and population demands by 2030.
In another development, Lukanisman said RM21.5mil has been allocated under the Bitara Madani programme to upgrade health clinics in Sabah.
These projects include demolishing and rebuilding 21 clinics and repairing 56 others deemed dilapidated.
He also said over 150 wooden health clinics in Sabah have been classified as such, and efforts are underway to improve the work environment for ministry staff and clients.
“Take Klinik Kampung Takuli, for instance – the original 1,000sq ft (93sqm) wooden structure has been replaced with a 2,600sq ft (242sqm) concrete building complete with staff quarters for employees who are single,” he said.He added that this design was proposed by the Sabah Health Department and is being implemented nationwide.
