KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 ― More than half or 54 per cent of 1,696 medical officers in the country left the public service sector in 2022, with wanting to work in the private sector being the main reason, the Dewan Rakyat was told.

In fact, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad said, the ministry’s survey also found that of the total number of doctors who left, 4.5 per cent are currently working abroad.

"Furthermore, 28 per cent of them left due to personal reasons, being offered to work in public universities (6.0 per cent), pursuing further studies (2.7 per cent), and opening their own clinics (0.8 per cent), while the other 0.5 per cent did not state any reasons.”

Dzulkefly said this in reply to the supplementary question from Fong Kui Lun (PH-Bukit Bintang) who wanted to know the reasons medical officers left the public service sector during Question Time today.

The minister said the government has implemented various initiatives to ensure medical officers stay in the public sector, including setting the starting salary for contract officers Grade UD41 at RM5,197, a significantly higher amount compared to other public service schemes.

He said the government had also appointed 9,822 medical officers to permanent posts between 2019 and 2023, with another 6,000 appointments to be made in 2024-2025.

Dzulkefly added that the government also provides incentives for specialised studies through facilities such as full-paid study leave with Federal Training Allowance and the Skill Training Programme. ― Bernama