Indonesia proposes enlisting nurses to mitigate workforce deficit
In an effort to alleviate the critical shortage of healthcare staff in major hospitals across Johor Bahru, the Johor menteri besar, Onn Hafiz Ghazi, has proposed recruiting nurses from Indonesia [1][2]. This initiative involves state-level cooperation, especially in Johor, with recruitment processes already underway and awaiting approvals from Malaysia’s health ministry and the Malaysian Nursing Board.
Currently, the focus of recruitment is on nurses from Indonesia's Riau and Riau Islands provinces [1]. The Johor state government welcomes the proposal but emphasizes the need for clear standard operating procedures (SOPs) to manage approvals, work permits, and other technicalities [2].
Indonesia’s Indonesian nurses have experience working abroad in countries with stringent standards, suggesting they are highly qualified and can adapt well to Malaysia [1]. However, the move requires approval from the health ministry, the Malaysia Nursing Board, and other relevant parties, as well as work permits from the Malaysian Ministry of Human Resources [1][2].
The aim of this collaboration is to alleviate nursing shortages in both public and private Malaysian hospitals, particularly in Johor [2]. While it addresses immediate vacancies, experts caution it is a symptomatic fix rather than a cure. Long-term issues such as burnout, retention, workload, and career development for existing local nurses remain underlying problems [3].
Local unions like Cuepacs oppose prioritizing foreign nurse recruitment before fully employing and supporting local nurses, highlighting concerns about employment opportunities for Malaysian nurses and maintaining healthcare quality [4].
To address these concerns, the consul-general of Indonesia in Johor Bahru, Sigit S Widiyanto, plans to focus on recruiting nurses from the Riau and Riau Islands provinces [5]. Additionally, he is considering establishing a twinning program for nursing graduates in Indonesia to study in Malaysia, which would allow graduates to complete six months of further study in Malaysia before starting work.
It is important to note that Malaysia is currently facing a shortage of healthcare workers, including nurses. The International Council of Nurses has called for a long-term plan to address Malaysia's critical shortage of nurses. The council projected that Malaysia's nursing shortage could reach nearly 60% of the total nursing workforce by 2030 [1].
In summary, recruitment of Indonesian nurses is underway as a bilateral strategy to ease Malaysia’s nurse shortage with appropriate regulatory processes pending. However, this is considered by some stakeholders as a temporary stopgap that should be complemented by sustainable improvements in retention and conditions for Malaysian nurses [1][2][3][4].
- The government of Johor, Malaysia, is attempting to enhance the healthcare sector by recruiting nurses from Indonesia, particularly from the Riau and Riau Islands provinces.
- While the focus is on Indonesian nurses due to their experience working in countries with stringent standards, it's crucial that the government also addresses long-term issues in nursing, such as burnout, retention, and career development for local nurses.
- To ensure a more sustainable approach to nursing, it's recommended that the Malaysian government complement the temporary recruitment of Indonesian nurses with long-term strategies, such as establishing twinning programs for nursing graduates in Indonesia to study in Malaysia.
