A TOTAL of 1,778 contract medical officers have resigned from the civil service since 2017, deputy health minister (I) Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali said today.

“There were 110 in 2017, 168 in 2018, 475 in 2019, 511 in 2020 and 514 between January to November 26 this year,” he told the Dewan Rakyat.

He cited a slew of reasons for the resignations, including moving to private practice, personal reasons, serving in statutory bodies, undergoing further studies, emigrating overseas, opening their own clinics and health reasons.

“There are quite a few who have health problems and required treatment which hampered them from continuing to serve,” he said.

Noor Azmi was responding to a question by Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (Kuala Selangor-Pakatan Harapan) on the statistics of resignations among medical graduates by year and the reasons given.

It was previously reported that contract MOs were tendering their resignation letters amidst the pandemic, citing burnout, a lack of career opportunities, overload and stress as Covid-19 patient load increases as the reasons for quitting.

On another note, contract medical officers are fighting for more of them to be absorbed into permanent service.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said on November 9 that the government will absorb 4,186 contract medical personnel.

Only 789 of the 23,077 contract medical officers in service since 2016 have been offered permanent positions, leaving the rest in a lurch with an uncertain future.

Organisers of the second Hartal strike, which is slated to take place on December 8, have warned of mass resignations. – November 29, 2021.