SHAH ALAM: Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad will meet with five nurse unions tomorrow to discuss the recent increase in nurses' weekly working hours.
The meeting, scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur, will include representatives from the Malayan Nurses Union (MNU), the Government Midwives and Community Nurses Union of Peninsular Malaysia, the Sabah Medical Services Union (SMSU), the Sarawak Medical Services Union, and the Health Ministry Workers Union.
Dzulkefly said the discussion will focus on gathering feedback from the unions regarding the new Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA) directive, which has increased the mandated workweek from 42 to 45 hours.
"We want to ensure that any directive will be implemented only after we can truly guarantee the interests, welfare, well-being, and workforce, especially our nurses, are protected and assured," he said in a press conference after officiating the 10th International Conference on Traditional and Complementary Medicine.
He added that further discussions with other stakeholders would follow after tomorrow's meeting. Dzulkefly said hat the feedback gathered from nurses directly affected by the change would be considered in his decision-making.
"I want it to represent the views and stance of all nurses, not because I spoke to a few nurses I know and then adopted their views, which I believe may not represent all nurses.
"The nurses we are referring to are those on shifts in hospitals," he said.
Yesterday, Dzulkefly said the ministry will review proposals from five nurses' associations as part of feedback on the recent increase in weekly work hours.
He said the input and concerns of various stakeholders about the changes under the new SSPA system were acknowledged.
On Monday, the nursing associations called for the directive to be delayed, citing insufficient staffing and heightened risks of stress, exhaustion, and burnout among healthcare workers.
The associations also revealed that they had conducted a survey to collect nurses' feedback on the issue, with the findings set to be compiled into a memorandum to be presented to the authorities, alongside plans for discussions with the ministry's senior leadership.