MALAYSIAN CARE INDUSTRY ACTION PLAN SET TO BE READY IN JULY - NANCY

PUTRAJAYA, May 13 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Care Industry Action Plan, aimed at producing professional carers involved in looking after the elderly, persons with disabilities (PwD) and children, is expected to be ready in July.

Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said her ministry is aware of the need to make caring for this group a professional career, especially in facing the challenge of becoming an ageing nation by 2030.

"Initiatives to empower the care industry are the main indicators under the MADANI Malaysia Strategic Framework for the Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development (KPWKM). So, it is one of the comprehensive preparations taken by the ministry in Malaysia's road to becoming an ageing nation by 2030,” she said here today. 

Nancy said this in her speech when officiating the launch of the Malaysian Care Industry Action Plan Development Lab which, among others, aims to identify challenges in implementing the care industry in Malaysia.

In line with the initiatives of the care industry, she said the ministry would also empower the role of the Department of Social Welfare as the leading agency for the care and community service sector by developing more National Occupational Skills Standards (NOSS), particularly to cater to the groups that are in need.

"In addition, the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) and the Social Institute of Malaysia (ISM) will further intensify training and certification of the MamaCare Postpartum Maternal Care Profession and also the child care course for Child Care Centre (TASKA) caregivers.

"The LPPKN is also ready to make the care industry a success by providing five Practical Assessment Centres for training mothers after childbirth, namely the Penang LPPKN Family Centre, Dungun Nur Sejahtera Clinic, Seremban LPPKN Family Centre, Kluang Nur Sejahtera Clinic and the LPPKN Headquarters,” she said.

Nancy later told a media conference that the KPWKM aims to produce 385 skilled trainees with the technical know-how in dealing with the elderly, children and PwDs.

"We (KPWKM) have trained 655 carers since 2018, but they were only given basic training as caregivers. Now, we want to train them as skilled carers,” she said.

She also welcomed the participation of men to be trained as skilled carers since there is only a small number of them compared to the need for this group of carers.

-- BERNAMA