Hospital Pasir Gudang dijangka capai kapasiti operasi penuh Disember ini

Hospital Pasir Gudang is expected to reach full operational capacity this December, according to Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad. The ministry remains committed to ensuring HPG operates optimally according to the established phased plan. As of now, the staffing level at HPG stands at 48%, with 1,075 staff members since the hospital opened last August.

The Ministry of Health (KKM) is actively driving the Staffing Action Plan, which has resulted in 85.4% of Medical Officer (MO) vacancies filled, with 176 out of 206 positions taken as of last Tuesday. Layoffs are also open this year to complete the remaining vacancies, the ministry announced. In addition, HPG has offered 10 basic dental services, while Ophthalmology will be introduced within six months.

The minister noted that the healthcare specialist workforce will increase to 48.05% when nine pre-war veterans report for duty from this month until February 2027, compared to the current 36.36%. The appointment of 80 new Nursing Assistants (NPAs) in early October will further boost the staffing level from 68 to 91%, while the nursing staff ratio, currently at 32.24%, is expected to rise to 40.42% with the addition of 70 more nurses in the coming month.

For multi-professional roles (including X-ray technicians, medical lab technologists, dieticians, and physiotherapists), human resource acquisition is being conducted progressively to increase the current staffing ratio of 45%. As a short-term measure, KKM is also implementing cluster and visiting specialist approaches to cope with service needs in facilities facing staff shortages.

The minister assured that these steps aim to ensure every patient receives appropriate care based on clinical assessment and timely treatment for emergency cases. Recognizing the challenge of the healthcare workforce shortage, particularly for the Nursing and Medical Specialist programs, Dzulkefly said his ministry is actively pursuing structural reforms for long-term solutions.

These include streamlining professional pathways through expanded parallel slots to 600 per year and providing financial incentives such as Specialist and Pre-war Specialist Incentive Pay (BIPPW) to qualified professionals. Additionally, the capacity of the KKM Training Institute (ILKKM) will be expanded to 3,000 by last year and projected to reach 5,000 by October 2027 through the opening of four new branches.

The human resource recruitment process at HPG is continually monitored closely and must be carried out strategically and not abruptly for individual facilities, the minister added. KKM remains committed to ensuring HPG operates optimally according to the established phased plan for the benefit of the people of Johor's health and quality care, he said.

Earlier, Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi had appealed to the KKM to expedite the filling of vacancies at the hospital to operate optimally and handle the health needs of the surrounding population.