“Jobs are there, but no one wants them” – MOH Faces Major Nurse Shortage as Thousands Resign

In February, it was reported that 6,919 healthcare workers from the Ministry of Health (MOH) had resigned and moved to the private sector between 2020 and last year.

This figure included 2,141 nurses (1,754 permanent and 387 contract staff) who left during that period. Additionally, 1,856 permanent medical officers, 3,846 contract medical officers, and 1,217 medical specialists also resigned, according to Berita Harian.

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“No one wants the job”

The Health Ministry (MOH) has acknowledged that Malaysia is facing a serious shortage of nurses and healthcare workers, labelling it their biggest challenge at present, even more pressing than digitalisation.

In response, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the ministry is taking action, including boosting the number of nursing trainees.

He acknowledged that the shortage of nurses is a real problem that MOH is continuously working to resolve.

“We’re trying a few things, like raising the number of trainees to 1,000, but it’s still not enough to meet the demand. The jobs are there, but no one wants to take them. So please bear with us as we work on a solution,” he said.

“We need to lift the morale of our nurses”

The resignations were said to be largely due to better pay and perks in the private sector. Last year, it was estimated that the nursing shortage could hit nearly 60% by 2030.

Dzulkefly said public-private partnerships could be one way to address the growing demand for nurses in the country.

He also shared that the ministry is rolling out several strategies to quickly increase the number of nurses.

“This includes working with private healthcare providers and taking temporary steps like bringing in nurses from overseas. But most importantly, we need to lift the morale and spirit of our nurses. That’s the key, alongside other things like better pay and incentives,” he said.

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