JOHOR BARU: Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi today urged the Health Ministry to immediately address the acute shortage of healthcare personnel in the state, saying several wards at Pasir Gudang Hospital have remained closed despite being completed about a year ago due to insufficient manpower.
Onn Hafiz, who visited the hospital with state Health and Environment Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon, said the shortage of nurses, medical assistants and specialist doctors had prevented the facility from operating at full capacity.
The hospital opened last year, but because there are not enough staff, wards that were completed about a year ago still cannot be opened to the public, he said.
"I urge the Health Ministry to resolve the shortage of nurses, medical assistants and specialists, not only at Pasir Gudang Hospital but across Johor.
"Johor is in urgent need of assistance and we hope the ministry will resolve this issue as soon as possible," he said in a statement today.
The latest appeal comes amid persistent concerns over manpower shortages in Johor's public healthcare system, with state leaders repeatedly calling on Putrajaya to increase the deployment of healthcare workers to cope with rising demand driven by the state's rapid population growth and economic expansion.
Johor has been among the states hardest hit by shortages of doctors, nurses and allied health personnel, with several government hospitals reporting heavy workloads, overcrowding and prolonged waiting times.
The state government has consistently maintained that strengthening healthcare capacity is essential as Johor continues to attract investments and new residents under major development initiatives, including the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone.
Last month, Onn Hafiz also called on the Health Ministry to prioritise resolving manpower shortages at Sultanah Aminah Hospital, saying healthcare workers should not be left to shoulder an unsustainable workload amid increasing patient numbers. - NST
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