KUALA LUMPUR: Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said 12 medical officers had resigned to work abroad in 2024, representing 3.1 per cent of the 386 total resignations recorded for the year.
The minister said the main reason for the migration of doctors is competitive salaries in advanced countries, driven by stronger foreign exchange rates against the ringgit.
The outflow of skilled medical professionals is a long-standing issue in Malaysia’s public health system.
Like many developing nations, Malaysia has struggled to retain talent due to factors like high-pressure working conditions.
This shortage of professionals has led to a reliance on contract staff and an increased workload on existing personnel.
Dzulkefly said the talent migration issue is not new and is also happening in other developing nations.
He was responding to Muhammad Fawwaz Mohamad Jan, the member of parliament for Permatang Pauh, regarding the ministry’s actions to address the problem of young doctors moving abroad because of work pressure and an unfair contract system.
The minister said the Health Ministry cannot prevent medical officers from seeking employment in the private sector or overseas.
He added that efforts are being made to retain doctors, including the appointment of 13,552 contract medical officers to permanent positions since 2023.
Dzulkefly said the ministry is making an average of over 4,000 permanent appointments annually in cooperation with central agencies.
He added that medical officers under grade UD9 receive a competitive starting salary of RM5,380, the highest among public service schemes, with an annual increment of RM225.
Other incentives include a locum allowance of RM80 per hour, an on-call duty allowance ranging from RM80 to RM220 per night, and an elective surgery allowance of RM80 per hour.
The minister also said there are career advancement opportunities through time-based promotions from grade UD9 to grade UD14 within 12 years and opportunities for lateral entry into grade UD10 for contract medical officers who are made permanent.
Dzulkefly said the ministry has also expanded training opportunities, with 600 slots annually under the ministry-sponsored “Parallel Pathway” specialist training programme across 14 specialties starting in 2025, a significant increase from just 52 slots in 2022.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
