PETALING JAYA, May 6 (Bernama) -- The government will not prevent nurses
from working abroad or limit the number of foreign nurses coming into the
country, said deputy minister of Health Datuk Rosnah Rashid Shirlin.
She said the government was looking at ways to handle the glut in nursing
students such as a moratorium on new nursing colleges and increasing the
requirement to at least five Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia credits compared to three
previously.
"Apart from handling the glut, the move also aims to produce better calibre
and educated nurses," she said at a press conference after closing a health camp
at Sekolah Kebangsaan Section 6, Kota Damansara here today, in conjunction with
International Nurses Day which is on May 12.
Apart from providing free health checks, the one-day camp also included a
speech on the government''s 1Malaysia policy by deputy minister in Prime
Minister''s Department Datuk Ahmad Maslan.
Rosnah explained that among the factors which caused the glut was the
refusal of private hospitals to employ nursing graduates with the excuse that
they were inexperienced, even though most of them were from institutions of
higher learning.
-- MORE
ROSNAH-NURSES 2 PETALING JAYA
"We have asked the private sector to employ them and set aside the matter of
experience on the basis that experience can only be gained if they''re given the
jobs," she said.
Commenting on the ministry''s target of achieving a one to 200 nurse to
patient ratio by 2015, Rosnah said it was possible as the current ratio was one
to 347.
Earlier during the day, Ahmad in his speech on the 1Malaysia policy said
that it was initially considered rhetorical and not grounded but is clearly
being accepted and absorbed by the people.
He said after three years, the idea based on the philosophy of ''People
First, Performance Now'', is being accepted as an efficient product which could
be held, felt and enjoyed.
"Through 1Malaysia all races in the country are considered as friends and
not foe, assets not liability and as the nation''s most valuable treasure," he
added.
-- MORE
ROSNAH-NURSES 3 (LAST) PETALING JAYA
He also drew attention to how the Prime Minister was inspired by the episode
of Prophet Muhammad uttering "ummati, ummati, ummati" before he passed away.
"In current times, that can be interpreted as "my people, my people, my
people" and the Prime Minister has translated it into People First and that''s
why his administration puts the people first in all matters," he concluded.
-- BERNAMA
MYS RV PA