Fellow Nurses Africa | Lagos, Nigeria | 23 September, 2025
When a government finally treats its healthcare heroes like the essential workers they are, other nations should take notes
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad’s announcement that all government nurses will receive permanent positions isn’t just policy, it’s a declaration that healthcare workers deserve more than applause from balconies and empty promises of appreciation
Malaysia faces a crushing shortage of 14,000 nurses. Sound familiar? It should. From the understaffed wards of the UK’s NHS to Canada’s healthcare crisis, from Australia’s nursing exodus to the United States’ ongoing staffing catastrophe, the global nursing shortage has reached epidemic proportions.
The country’s nurse-to-population ratio sits at a dismal 3.8 per 1,000 people, well below WHO’s recommended six. Yet while other nations watch their healthcare systems hemorrhage talent, Malaysia is stemming the bleeding with concrete action.
“This shows that the Health Minister cares for the welfare of healthcare workers,” said Malayan Nurses Union president Saaidah Athman. When was the last time a nurse in your country could say that with a straight face?
The policy shift affects every new nursing graduate from 2025 onward and converts existing contract workers to permanent staff. It’s not just about job titles, it’s about housing loans, leave benefits, structured promotions, and the dignity of knowing you won’t be discarded after dedicating your career to saving lives.
Dr. RA Lingeshwaran called it “historic.” In 2025, job security for essential workers shouldn’t be historic, it should be standard.
While Malaysia invests RM25 million annually to triple its nurse training from 1,000 to 3,000 recruits, let’s examine what other governments are doing:
The United Kingdom: NHS nurses are fleeing to Australia and New Zealand faster than they can be replaced. Brexit restrictions and pay disputes have created a staffing nightmare that puts patients at risk daily.
United States: Despite being the world’s wealthiest nation, American hospitals rely on expensive traveling nurses while permanent staff burn out in record numbers. Student loan debt and workplace violence make the profession increasingly unattractive.
Canada: Provinces poach nurses from each other while healthcare workers migrate south for better opportunities. Provincial health systems collapse under the weight of political neglect.
Australia: Even with aggressive international recruitment, rural hospitals close emergency departments due to nursing shortages. Indigenous communities suffer disproportionately.
The Brain Drain Reality Check
Malaysian nurses have been fleeing overseas for "greener pastures"often to countries that ironically treat them better than their homelands treat their own healthcare workers. The cruel irony? Nations importing nurses while failing their domestic workforce.
Malaysia’s permanent position policy directly addresses this exodus. When nurses know they have career security at home, they’re less likely to seek it abroad. It’s healthcare economics 101, yet most governments seem incapable of grasping this basic concept.
Real change means:
- Permanent positions as standard, not revolutionary
- Living wages that reflect the life-or-death nature of nursing work
- Career progression paths that don’t require leaving the profession
- Investment in training that treats education as essential infrastructure
- Workplace safety that protects those who protect us all
Malaysia is producing 18,000 nursing graduates by 2030 while ensuring they have stable careers waiting. Their goal? Meeting WHO standards that most developed nations fail to achieve.
If a developing nation can prioritize nurse retention through job security, what excuse do wealthier countries have for their healthcare workforce disasters?
To nurses reading this worldwide: Malaysia just proved that governments can do better when they choose to. Your working conditions, job security, and professional dignity aren’t luxuries—they’re necessities for functioning healthcare systems.
To policymakers everywhere: Malaysia just showed you how it’s done. No more excuses about budget constraints while you fund tax cuts for corporations. No more empty rhetoric about healthcare heroes while you treat them as disposable.
The Malaysian model isn’t perfect, but it’s progress. Real, tangible progress that puts people over politics and patients over profit margins.
The question isn’t whether other governments can afford to follow Malaysia’s lead.
The question is: can they afford not to?
Fellow Nurses Africa is the independent voice of African Nurses. We educate, inform and support the nursing profession.
