LETTER | Nod for foreign nurses a move in the right direction

LETTER | I was recently admitted to a private hospital near where I live for a minor chest infection. It is one of those conditions that come with being 76 years old. Thank God, the doctor was able to sort out the problem fast.

But during my three nights in the hospital, I noticed that the ward that the hospital put me in was rather under-staffed. There were only about three or four nurses overseeing probably a dozen or so patients on my floor.

They looked rather tired having to juggle the different needs of the patients, including accompanying doctors on their rounds, on top of performing administrative duties.

I spoke to one of the nurses who looked rather haggard at the end of her shift. She said that one of her fellow nurses had fallen ill on that day, while another had gone on an earlier-than-expected maternity leave. This was why she and her colleagues were stretched. To be fair, I feel all of them had done a good job, given their limitations.

I was even more surprised to find out that the shortage of nurses in private hospitals was not confined to the ward or the hospital where I was in. Apparently, it's quite widespread in private hospitals throughout the country.

Part of the reason is that the young are not as keen to pursue a nursing career due to its long hours and low pay. Many would rather pick up courses like graphics design, marketing or human resources after they complete their studies.

Another reason is that many trained nurses now opt to work overseas in places like Dubai as they could fetch much higher pay. As a result, Malaysia faces a shortage of nurses.

But a few days ago, I was pleasantly surprised to read in the news of Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa announcing that private hospitals are allowed to hire foreign nurses starting next month, subject to certain conditions.

I want to laud the minister, who is a trained doctor herself, for being conscientious in this matter as it can help alleviate the workload of nurses in the country as they are the backbone of our health and wellness sector.

Well done, Health Ministry! As a retiree who was recently discharged from a private hospital, I can vouch that this move will provide much relief to patients and healthcare practitioners.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.