The Johor government has urged the Ministry of Health (MOH) to give immediate attention to the critical shortage of healthcare workers affecting hospitals in the state.
Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said more than 2,000 positions remain unfilled at Hospital Sultanah Aminah (HSA), Hospital Sultan Ismail (HSI) and Hospital Pasir Gudang (HPG), creating heavy workloads for existing medical staff.
He said the shortage has placed significant pressure on healthcare workers, with some reportedly resigning due to overwhelming responsibilities while continuing efforts to provide treatment for patients.
“The issue that concerns me the most is the shortage of healthcare workers at HSA. I fear the burden they are carrying has become too heavy, especially as HSA is one of Johor’s main referral hospitals receiving thousands of patients from across the state every day.
“I sincerely appeal to the MOH to consider giving immediate priority and attention to resolving the shortage at HSA,” he said in a statement on Friday.
The statement came after Onn Hafiz visited HSA yesterday to observe the hospital’s current situation and receive updates on improvement measures being carried out to ensure healthcare services for Johoreans continue smoothly.
He said one of the ongoing efforts at HSA includes the temporary relocation of the Emergency and Trauma Department to the Labour and Delivery (L&D) Centre starting early August.
The move will allow upgrading works on the hospital’s electrical system to be carried out safely.
Onn Hafiz added that the RM159 million project to upgrade the hospital’s main electricity supply, electrical and mechanical systems, along with other improvement works, is currently underway to ensure HSA continues providing safer and higher-quality healthcare services to the people of Johor.
