KUALA LUMPUR: The Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) has asked the Health Minister to extend the current one-year amnesty period for recruiting foreign nurses into private hospitals.
Its president Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh said this was necessary as the current amnesty, which allows for the recruitment of foreign nurses, is set to end in October.
He said hospitals have yet to admit any foreign nurses under this initiative.
Dr Kuljit said at present, private institutions are restricted in their capacity to expand facilities, due to the substantial shortage of nurses in private hospitals.
"We request that the Health Minister and the Prime Minister conduct a comprehensive study of the consequences of the nursing deficit in the country and the reluctance of local school leavers to pursue a career in nursing.
"Additionally, we are facing the challenge of collaborating with the Human Resources Ministry to substantiate our assertion regarding the local shortage, which has necessitated lengthy joint interviews to demonstrate the absence of local nurses," he said in his welcoming address at the 30th APHM International Healthcare Conference and Exhibition, here today.
Also present was Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
He said the government must address this issue with the utmost urgency in order to reduce bureaucracy and address it through a single agency until the shortage is resolved within the next few years.
In September last year, former Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa announced a temporary conditional relaxation for private healthcare facilities to hire trained foreign nurses for a period of 12 months starting from Oct 1.
Dr Zaliha had said that the shortage of nursing staff in both the public and private sectors had a significant impact on the effective delivery of healthcare services in the country, and this had long been raised by various associations in the private medical industry network.
She said the hiring of trained foreign nurses could not exceed 40 per cent in each facility and was valid for only 12 months until Sept 30 this year.
However, a service extension would be allowed for another 12 months, but it must follow the approval of Temporary Practice Certification (TPC) for trained foreign nurses.