KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 — The Ministry of Health (MOH) reportedly revealed that 196,664 personnel, including medical officers, have resigned from their posts in the past 10 years.

Utusan Malaysia reported based on a Parliamentary reply from the ministry that out of the 196,664 personnel who resigned, medical officers made up the highest number at 6,282.

This was followed by graduate medical officers (3,826), dentists (3,256), pharmacists (2,692), nurses (1,643), specialists (1,631) and medical assistants (334).

In the reply, the ministry stated that among the reasons cited for resigning were wanting to serve in the private sector and statutory bodies, desiring to further their education, health problems, migrating abroad and wanting to open their own clinic.

A separate reply from MOH reportedly said that a total of 1,732 graduate medical officers or trainee doctors resigned before completing their graduate training in the period between 2020 and 2022.

Earlier this month, a group of contract doctors called Mogok Doktor Malaysia had planned a strike, but the move ultimately fizzled out. It was unrelated to another successful walkout last year by the group called Hartal Doktor Kontrak.

The group had demanded the absorption of all contract medical officers into permanent positions, basic salary increments, higher on-call rates, and an automatic reduction in the compulsory service term for medical officers to three years.

Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa has since said that a strike is not the best solution to deal with every problem that arises, instead the matter needs to be dealt with more prudent and professionally through the right platform.

On April 18, Dr Zaliha said that 4,263 contract doctors have been absorbed into permanent service so far.

She said the ministry aims to absorb 12,800 contract doctors permanently in the next three years.