KUALA LUMPUR: Bagan member of Parliament Lim Guan Eng today urged the Health Ministry to provide clarity on the subpar fabric supplied for nurses' and medical assistants' uniforms.
"Can the Health Ministry disclose details about the contract, including the tender price for the white fabric intended for our healthcare professionals? What companies supplied this fabric, and is there a possibility of legal action against them, including fines?"
"Additionally, what monitoring system is in place that allows the acceptance of low-quality fabric?" he said when debating the 2025 Supply Bill.
Earlier, Lim highlighted complaints received from nurses regarding the quality of the fabric, describing it as excessively stiff.
"Recently, Senator Dr RA Lingeshwaran, a former hospital director, highlighted the same concerns. Nurses have reported that the fabric is so rigid that tailors refuse to work with it for fear of damaging their needles. Additionally, some fabrics turn yellow quickly, resulting in reprimands from their matrons.
"This issue is particularly alarming, as some nurses have resorted to donating the fabric for use as shrouds. What's even more troubling is that many feel compelled to accept this low-quality material; otherwise, they risk losing a sewing allowance of RM690 for three sets of uniforms," he said.
Dr Lingeshwaran had recently shared on TikTok his meeting with Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad and the ministry's deputy secretary-general (finance), Datuk Seri Norazman Ayob, regarding these fabric quality issues.