MMA calls for comprehensive strategy to stem exodus of public-sector doctors
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has called for a comprehensive strategy to retain doctors in the public healthcare system, warning that recruitment alone will not address the loss of medical officers.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has urged the government to adopt a comprehensive strategy to retain doctors in the public healthcare system, asserting that recruitment alone is insufficient to address the alarming loss of medical officers. In 2024 to 2026, 3,510 medical officers, including 1,252 permanent doctors, resigned, with MMA president Dr L. Sivanaesan deeming this a cause for concern.
While the government's commitment to end the contract doctor system is welcomed, he emphasized that permanent appointments are merely one aspect of the solution.
Sivanaesan stressed that addressing the root causes of doctors leaving is essential. He suggested that remuneration, including salaries, allowances, and on-call rates, should reflect the responsibilities, workload, and professional demands of doctors. Transparent promotion pathways, fairer career advancement opportunities, and recognition of experience and qualifications are also necessary to help doctors build long-term careers in public service.
Expanding funded specialist training places, such as Master's and Parallel Pathway programmes, is crucial to ensure transparent, merit-based selection and remove administrative hurdles that delay career progression.
The government must also ensure adequate staffing, balanced workloads, and reasonable working hours, particularly in understaffed facilities dealing with heavy workloads. Improving work-life balance should encompass adequate rest after demanding shifts, structured duty rosters, and better workplace support. These measures should be backed by clear implementation timelines, dedicated financial allocations, and measurable targets.
Sivanaesan stressed that retaining doctors must be a priority that delivers tangible change, not just policy aspirations. He emphasized that doctors require more than job security, including a working environment that values their contributions, supports professional development, and protects their well-being.
Sivanaesan concluded by emphasizing that Malaysia cannot afford to lose its doctors while those who remain bear an increasingly heavy burden. Retaining doctors is vital not only for safeguarding the medical profession but also for ensuring patient care and the future of the nation's public healthcare system.
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