Demand for Enterostomal Therapy nursing rising
KUCHING: The demand for Enterostomal Therapy ( ET) nursing specialty is important for patients undergoing ostomy surgeries.
This is especially so with the increasing trend in colorectal cancers, says Sarawak Health director Dr Jamilah Hashim.
She noted that stoma cases had also increased at Sarawak General Hospital ( SGH) here – from 87 in 2015 to 157 in 2016. The figure shot up to 170 cases in 2017.
As for wound care in Malaysia, Dr Jamilah said diabetic foot ulcers, venous and arterial ulcers, and pressure injury cases were also increasing.
He said patients with debilitating diseases and chronic wounds need specialised care from these ET nurses in ensuring optimal quality of life.
“At SGH, the wound cases have also increased - from 1,662 in 2016 to 2,285 in 2017,” she said at the ‘ Wound, Ostomy and Continence Care’ seminar at Sultan Iskandar Building here yesterday.
Thirteen nurses – four from Sarawak and one each from Vietnam and the Philippines – are trained in the Malaysian Wound, Ostomy and Continence Education Programme ( MyWOCEP) here.
Dr Jamilah said a total of 64 ET nurses from MyWOCEP have been trained. Twenty- seven of them are from Sarawak.
“Malaysia is proud to have trained three Vietnamese ET and two Filipino ETs. Hopefully, this will further enhance the development of wound, ostomy and continence nursing care in their countries.
“In time to come, more patients with such conditions will benefit and have a better quality of life,” she said.
Dr Jamilah also revealed that the SGH has been given the privilege to conduct the MyWOCEP, under General surgery, Nursing Services Unit and Malaysian Enterostomal Therapy Nurses Association ( METNA).
MyWOCEP, the only programme conducted in the Ministry of Health Malaysia, has achieved an official recognition from the World Council of Enterostomal Therapy ( WCET) for 2016-2018.
The Malaysian programme is one of the few programmes recognised by the world council in this region, besides Hong Kong, Australia, China and Indonesia.
SGH director Dr Chin Zin Hing was also present at the ceremony.