More to bear: The MCA vice-president said the extended hours could severely jeopardise the well-being of nurses.
PETALING JAYA: The imposition of a 45-hour work week for nurses starting Dec 1 is an unacceptable escalation of their already overwhelming workload, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng.
The MCA vice-president and Tanjung Piai MP said these extended hours could dramatically worsen the chronic issue of overworked nurses, severely jeopardising their well-being and efficiency.
“The demands of nursing are profoundly distinct from other civil service roles.
“Nurses confront patients and their families, who are often in distress, on a daily basis, subjecting them to immense mental stress that far surpasses that of typical job roles.
“For far too long, nurses in government hospitals have been grappling with severe staffing shortages, forcing many to shoulder workloads two to three times heavier than what’s considered normal.
“Now, with an unjustifiable addition of three more hours each week, this situation is like adding insult to injury,” he said here yesterday.
According to the new directive, nurse shifts will change from the current schedule (7am-2pm, 2pm-9pm and 9pm-7am) to a new one (7am-3pm, 3pm-10pm and 10pm-7am).
Wee said this adjustment disregarded the year-round demands of shift work and neglected nurses’ physical and mental health during night shifts.
The schedule, he added, is more suitable for office-based civil servants than for shift nurses.
“Night emergencies often deprive nurses of adequate rest, and the limited recovery time during the day is insufficient to counteract sleep deprivation.
“Furthermore, government hospital nurses, unlike their private hospital counterparts, do not receive appropriate shift allowances, worsening their situation,” he said.
Wee urged the government to seriously consider the pressures nurses face, especially with the persistent resource constraints in government hospitals that have forced nurses to endure high-intensity environments for years.
“The relevant departments should reassess this policy to prevent further deterioration of nurses’ working conditions.
“Healthcare workers are the backbone of our public healthcare system.
“Providing them with reasonable working conditions and protection is essential to ensuring patients receive high-quality medical services,” he said.
The Public Service Department has released a circular on streamlining the working hours of civil servants who do not work on fixed office hours with those who work on office hours. This would make the working hours including rest days total up to 45 hours a week.
