MMA Urges Focus on Nurse Retention, Not Lowered Entry Requirements

The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has urged the government to prioritize improving nurses' working conditions and salaries rather than lowering entry requirements for diploma in nursing programs to address the country's nursing shortage. MMA president Datuk Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira acknowledged the urgency of the situation but stressed the importance of maintaining Malaysia's internationally recognized healthcare standards .

He called on regulators to thoroughly assess the decision, which will be in effect for the next two years, and ensure all alternative solutions have been considered. 'Nurses are vital members of the healthcare team, working alongside doctors and being relied upon to play a crucial role in patient care,' he said in a statement today. 'Rather than easing entry requirements, we strongly believe that efforts should be focused on improving nurses' terms of services and employment. This includes better remuneration, reasonable work hours, and career development opportunities to not only attract new student nurses but also to retain talent in the profession,' he added. The association also proposed offering meaningful incentives to long-serving nurses to retain experienced professionals in the field. MMA further recommended increasing student intake at public nursing schools to sustainably address the shortage while maintaining the quality of nursing standards. 'We should be addressing the root causes of the shortages of nurses in the country. Similar to intake for local medical schools, fewer nurses are being produced due to a drop or inadequate enrollment at nursing schools. This shortage will eventually have an effect both on the public and private healthcare sectors,' Dr Kalwinder pointed out. He also highlighted that students are increasingly choosing careers in emerging digital technology fields, leading to a decline in enrollment for healthcare courses, and stressed that to compete for talent, the government must improve service conditions, remuneration, and career progression within the nursing profession. 'Whatever remedial actions are being taken, or being planned to overcome the shortages, should simultaneously always strive to maintain the standards of the profession at all times,' he said. Recently, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad announced plans to relax entry requirements for nursing programs to counter the nationwide nurse shortage. The new criteria will be applicable only to students enrolling in the 2025 and 2026 intakes. Under the previous requirements, candidates needed five Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia credits, including for Bahasa Melayu, Mathematics, and one science subject, along with a pass in English. However, under the new requirements, applicants will now only need credits for Bahasa Melayu, Mathematics, and one science subject, along with a pass in two additional subjects, including English.

NURSES MALAYSIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION SHORTAGE REMUNERATION WORKING CONDITIONS ENTRY REQUIREMENTS HEALTHCARE STANDARDS

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