Answering a question from Dzulkefly Ahmad (PH-Kuala Selangor) in the Dewan Rakyat today, deputy health minister Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali said a total of 1,497 contract doctors have resigned since 2017.

He said 110 left in 2017, 168 in 2018, 475 in 2019, 511 last year and 514 between January and November.

Noor Azmi said they resigned because of various reasons, with the main ones being moving to the private sector, personal reasons, and working with the legal sector.

Others resigned because of medical reasons and to work overseas.

Dzulkefly had asked for the number of contract doctors who have resigned according to the years and the reasons given.

Noor Azmi also said the health ministry has set up a special committee to look into the future of contract doctors.