Singapore witnesses shortage of nurses in hospitals, many resigns amid COVID

At present, Singapore is also witnessing a shortage of healthcare workers in the hospital facilities, which forced a private hospital to hire 12-12 thousand personnel to assist them in finding and recruiting experienced nurses.

The media reports further claim that the hospital has also offered to pay at least 3,600 Singapore dollars to personnel who helped locate and recruit recently graduated nurses. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the problem of a shortage of nurses, and there is a massive demand for nurses everywhere,” the hospital officials noted. 

Since the COVID-19 outbreak emerged in the country, it has witnessed a decline in the number of nurses. On the other hand, several healthcare workers have resigned due to the extreme pressure and working hours during the global pandemic, while some foreign nurses have moved home or elsewhere. 

“Around 2000 health workers resigned in the first half of 2021, while the number of health workers who resigned before the pandemic was around 2000 annually,” Janil Puthucherry – the senior minister of state for health, cited during the parliament meeting, which was held earlier this month only. 

Dr Noel Yeo – the Chief Operating Officer, IHH Healthcare Singapore, stated, “Many of our foreign workers have moved to another country or returned home. The local workers who are left are exhausted due to excessive working hours and need rest.” 

IHH Healthcare Singapore covers four hospitals. For this reason, the hospital group had to offer to find more nurses and pay fees to the personnel who recruited them.

Associate Professor Yong Keng Kwang, the group chief nurse of the National Healthcare Group (NHG), cited that on one side, the country is seeing an increase in COVID-19 infections, and at the same time, nurses are resigning, adding that it takes atleast six months to train a nurse. 

Not only Singapore but several other nations around the globe are currently dealing with a similar kind of situation.