By Saiful Bahri Kamaruddin
Pix: Rosli Nasir, HCTM Photographer

KUALA LUMPUR, 1 June 2016 – Nurses, as medical staff of The National University of Malaysia (UKM), have to be amenable to change in order to provide even better services, said Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Noor Azlan Ghazali.

He challenged nurses at the Chancellor Tuanku Muhriz Hospital (HCTM) to be more innovative and value creation.

He said they have to offer new ideas and not just follow convention.

“We have big plans for you, as we want to build a Health Technopolis, specialising in medicine and health,” he said in his town-hall meeting with nursing staff at the HCTM level World Nursing Day 2016 celebrations, here yesterday.

The Vice-Chancellor regarded nurses as a force for change in improving the health system’s resilience.

At the same time he acknowledged that the nursing staff at HCTM and other medical facilities of UKM are among the best in the country

He described them as being very profesional and they are at the vital front-line of services.

“Your performance, your smile, the way you answer questions, every single thing people will say, these are UKM nurses,” he declared.

He pointed out that the importance of the nursing profesion was demonstrated when the Health Ministry recently announced plans to upgrade all of its nurses’ qualifications to degree-level from diploma by next year.

He said while UKM already offers a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing at the faculty of Medicine,  other government hospitals where the majority held diploma qualifications would follow suit  to upgrade the capabilities of nurses in public service.

“We have enough facilities, including the teaching force, to offer degree studies like those of private educational institutions,” he said.

International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world every May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth.

Also present were Deputy Deans (Academic and International) Prof Datuk Dr Zainul Rashid Mohamad Razi and  Prof. Dr. Ima Nirwana Soelaiman (Research and Innovation), and Nursing Department Head Dr Zainah Mohamed.

Earlier, in conjunction with Mother’s Day and Nurses, the Community Service Centre at Bandar Tun Razak organised a community service programme managed by HCTM.

Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Senator Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun, handed over donations to residents during her visit to the community centre.