Nurses Slam Work Hour Delay as Band-Aid for Chronic Understaffing and Burnout Crisis

The Public Service Department (PSD) has delayed the implementation of a 45-hour work week for nurses until August 1, maintaining the current 42-hour schedule until July 31. This decision, approved on May 28, follows a request from the Health Ministry. However, nurses argue that the focus on working hours fails to address the core issues of chronic understaffing, burnout, and the profession’s long-term sustainability. An ICU nurse named Ng emphasized that understaffing is the primary problem, exacerbated by the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Low pay, with government nurses earning around RM4,000 after a decade, has driven many to seek better opportunities abroad. Ng also criticized management for prioritizing performance targets over addressing the intense workloads nurses face daily.

Nurses

Business News

Staff Writer

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