Govt should establish elderly nursing career for an ageing nation - Senator
KUALA LUMPUR - A member of the Dewan Negara today proposed that a career as a nurse for the elderly be created, in preparation to face the challenges of an ageing nation in 2030.
Senator Datuk Dr R. Nelson said that the curriculum for that purpose had already been prepared by the Department of Skills Development, but it was understood that there was no demand for the programme.
"This situation may be due to the ‘career path’ for this being unclear... believe me if the government can create this nursing career, and it is recognised by the Public Service Department, then it can be seen more clearly and there will be demand from young people in the future,” he said.
He said this when debating the Supply Bill 2024 in the Dewan Negara today.
According to him, the country needs to create the best care system for the elderly in the region and proposed that a care centre for the elderly be established in an unused government building.
"My previous proposal to use an unused government building as a full-time care centre for the elderly, or 'daycare', has been accepted. I understand that a government facility will be prepared for this purpose.
"Hopefully more government facilities can be renovated, so that more seniors, especially among the B40s, can live out their old age in a more comfortable environment,” he said.
In the meantime, Nelson also urged the Ministry of Education to speed up the presentation of a bill to make it compulsory for Malaysians to get an education up to the secondary school level, to ensure that students in the national-type Tamil school (SJKT) do not drop out.
"I was made to understand that every year almost 3,000 SJKT students drop out, and they do not continue their education to secondary school, because it is not compulsory.
"The situation worsens when the distance between the secondary school and their residence in the interior is quite far, causing them to have no motivation to continue schooling,” he said. - BERNAMA
