MNU president Saaidah Athman, who led a delegation to hand over a memorandum to health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad and health director-general Dr Radzi Abu Hassan yesterday, said the repercussions of the move on the healthcare sector would be serious.

The directive, issued by the public services department last November, requires ward nurses to work an additional three hours per week, taking their total weekly hours to 45.

The new schedule was slated to begin on Dec 1, but was postponed to March 1 this year following protests.

Saaidah said there were currently 90,000 nurses at public hospitals and health clinics – about 9,000 short of the number needed.

“We impressed upon the minister and the director-general that adding three hours per week to the already burdened nurses’ workload will see a huge exodus from government hospitals, which are already facing a shortage,” she told FMT.

Saaidah said many senior nurses had moved to the private sector or countries such as Singapore and the Middle East where salaries are higher.

“This was even with the old (schedule of) 42 hours a week,” she added.

“With the addition of three hours, we expect more to consider better options.”

Saaidah also voiced concern about cases of nurses meeting with accidents on their way home from work, saying these were on the rise due to increasing levels of stress at work.

She added that many families were already struggling to maintain a work-life balance and expressed cdoncern that the new system would make things worse.

“We have suggested that the ministry stop the implementation (of this schedule) for six months so that stakeholders can meet and work out an amicable solution,” she said.

She said Dzulkefly had promised to meet with the chief secretary about the matter.