Colleges to be paid more

Star: PUTRAJAYA: Fees paid to private sector nursing colleges which train them for the Health Ministry will be increased by between 10% and 40% by the end of the year.
Deputy Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad said the ministry was currently paying RM24,000 for a three-year programme for each nurse.
The current market rate for nursing programmes in the private sector ranges from RM40,000 to RM60,000 for a three-year programme.
“It is not fair that other students are paying full fees while we pay about half the cost, yet all students are being given the same treatment,” said the deputy minister after witnessing the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the ministry, the Nursing Board of Malaysia and six nursing colleges yesterday on the provision of training.
Dr Abdul Latiff said the actual quantum of increase, to range from 10% to 40%, would be decided by the end of the year.
The ministry started outsourcing the training of nurses under the Public Services Department in 2004 and there are currently 2,000 students being trained at 15 private institutions. A total of 5,000 students are trained as nurses every year.
Dr Abdul Latiff said the ministry would continue to increase the number of students being trained annually because 15% of its nurses undergo compulsory retirement each year.
“At present, our ratio is one nurse to 600 people but we are trying to achieve the ratio of one nurse to 200 people,” he said.
He added that the ministry was very careful about the standard and quality of the institutions that students were sent to.
“If the quality is not good, we will stop sending students there,” he said.