SIBU: Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Dudong branch chairman Wong Ching Yong has urged federal Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad to treat the growing exodus of government doctors as a matter of national urgency.
Wong said the Health Ministry must take responsibility for addressing the severe shortage and “attrition of medical professionals” in the public healthcare sector, rather than attributing doctors’ departures solely to their freedom to choose their careers.
He was responding to statistics revealed by Dr Dzulkefly showing that 1,257 specialists resigned from government hospitals between 2023 and 2025 — 359 in 2023, 420 in 2024 and 478 in 2025.
During the same period, 3,511 medical officers also left government service, bringing the total number of medical professionals who departed to 4,768.
Wong warned that the continued loss of medical personnel could overwhelm the public healthcare system and develop into a systemic crisis if left unchecked.
He said the loss of specialists would result in longer waiting times for critical surgeries, particularly affecting lower-income patients who could not afford private healthcare.
Wong also cautioned that the shortage could undermine the training of future doctors, as fewer experienced specialists would be available to mentor and supervise junior medical professionals.
He added that the growing workload on remaining doctors would increase stress and exhaustion, potentially creating a vicious cycle that drives even more doctors to leave the public sector.
Wong criticised Dr Dzulkefly’s statement that there was currently no legislation preventing medical personnel from moving to the private sector or working overseas.
While acknowledging doctors’ freedom of career choice, Wong said the government should instead address the underlying workplace grievances that were driving medical professionals away.
He questioned the effectiveness of government initiatives aimed at improving doctors’ welfare and absorbing contract doctors into permanent positions.
“If these policies were truly effective, why did 4,768 medical professionals still walk away over the past three years?” he asked.
Wong also called on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to increase the national healthcare allocation to 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), in line with the World Health Organisation benchmark, saying the current allocation was inadequate to improve healthcare infrastructure and staff remuneration.
He proposed four reforms: establishing an independent health service commission to oversee remuneration and promotions; improving shift, on-call and specialist retention allowances; ensuring transparent career progression while addressing workplace bullying; and providing stronger incentives for doctors serving in rural areas, particularly in Sarawak and other parts of East Malaysia.
Wong said the medical fraternity had further proposals that the ministry should consider seriously.
“We hope Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly will genuinely listen to these grievances, which are distress signals echoing from government hospitals nationwide,” he said in a statement
