Christine (second left) and Tiong exchange the signed MoU documents, witnessed by Dr Jerip (centre). Looking on are Tan (left) and Ahmad.
SIBU (March 20): I-Systems College Kuching and Pantai Hospital Penang formalised their commitment to a nursing scholarship programme by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recently.
I-Systems College Kuching was represented by founder and CEO Pemanca Datuk John Tiong, while Pantai Hospital was represented by director Christine Amelia during the document exchange ceremony witnessed by state Deputy Minister of Transport Datuk Dr Jerip Susil.
Also attending the event were Temenggong Datuk Tan Joo Phoi and Senator Datuk Ahmad Ibrahim.
Tiong in a statement said the collaborative effort aimed to provide full scholarships to eligible Nursing Diploma students.
“The collective aspiration of this scholarship initiative is to serve as a catalyst for the younger generation to pursue careers in nursing care, fostering a positive impact on the healthcare sector,” he said.
He said the nursing scholarship would cover full tuition fees, hostel accommodation, transportation, living allowances, uniforms, shoes and in-patient and outpatient treatment.
Additionally, after undergoing the three-year programme at I-Systems College Kuching, the graduates will have a guaranteed job placement at Pantai Hospital Penang, he added.
“Such partnerships between healthcare providers and educational institution are needed in a time like this, where our country is facing an acute shortage of nurses.
“These nursing scholarships will be able to attract more youth to consider nursing as a profession, even more so that they can complete their education in an established college and start their career in an award-winning healthcare provider,” he said.
Tiong said I-Systems College Kuching is currently the only private college in Sarawak offering Diploma in Nursing.
“The diploma programme is fully accredited by Malaysian Qualification Agency, Nursing Board Malaysia, and Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia. It is taught by a team of experienced lecturers and clinical instructors whom are degree or masters’ holders with rich nursing experiences ranging from 10 to 30 years.”
He said the three-year Diploma in Nursing programme facilitates learning through classroom lectures and tutorial, practice in simulation wards, simulation public health clinic, nursing skills lab, and clinical placement in the Ministry of Health identified hospitals and community healthcare clinics.
“The college provides well-equipped Nursing Skill Labs, Simulation Ward, and Simulation Public Health Clinic. Ongoing clinical placement of the student nurses is supported by well-experienced clinical instructors and clinical coordinators.”
Based-on the current operational rate, Tiong said the college has the capacity to train 300 nursing students per year.
“To-date, we have produced more than 500 nursing graduates in the industry who have achieved 100 per cent employability within six months of graduation. Our graduates serve in local medical facilities, and overseas such as Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East,” he added.
Pantai Hospital, founded in 1997, is a leading quaternary healthcare provider with over 80 full-time specialists across medical and surgical specialties and sub-specialties.
With a wide range of treatment services supported by cutting-edge medical equipment and technology, it features three core centres of excellence in Oncology, Cardiology and Neurology, and is a top-of-mind healthcare travel destination with international patient volumes increasing by 10 per cent per annum.
Through the years, the hospital has garnered a plethora of local and international awards and accreditations that reflect its commitment to excellence, including from the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS).