pic by TMR FILE

THE number of contract doctors in the country that have resigned since 2017 has increased up until Nov 26, 2021.

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali  (picture) told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday that cumulatively since 2017, 1,778 contract doctors have quit.

According to the breakdown provided by the Ministry of Health a total of 110 contract doctors have resigned in 2017 followed by 168 doctors in 2018, 475 (2019), 511 (2020) respectively and 514 doctors have quit from January until Nov 26 this year.

“The decision to resign was made by the officers themselves for various reasons,” he said.

He was responding to a question from Kuala Selangor MP Datuk Seri Dr Zulkefly Ahmad who requested data on the number of medical officers that have resigned over the years and their reasons for leaving the public healthcare sector.

Dr Noor Azmi said among the reasons for their resignation include job offers at the private sector and statutory bodies, health problems and personal reasons.

The contract doctors have also left because they pursued their studies, moved abroad or opened their own clinics, Dr Noor Azmi added.

Meanwhile, the deputy minister said 620,180 adults in Sarawak or 30.4% of the state’s adult population have received the booster jab for Covid-19 as at Nov 27, making it the highest number of recipients for the dose in the country.

The ministry aims to have 2.04 million individuals in the state to be vaccinated with the booster dose.

“Sarawak is the first state to implement booster doses and additional doses for eligible recipients which began on Oct 13, 2021.At the moment, Sarawak has the highest number of booster dose recipients in the country,” he said in response to a question from Igan MP Ahmad Johnie Zawawi who asked for updates on the Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme in the state and Igan.

As at Nov 27, 2021, 2.19 million individuals or 9.4% of the 23.4 million adult population in the country have received the booster shot.

Dr Noor Azmi added that the death toll for Covid-19 cases has reached 29,80 cases from Jan 1, 2021, until Nov 27, 2021.

“Based on the analysis data for Covid-19 deaths in the country, the risk among non-vaccinated individuals or those who are not fully vaccinated is 17.9 times more than individuals that are fully vaccinated.

“Of the total deaths recorded, only 3,994 cases or 13.4% have received complete doses, 5,817 cases or 19.5% of the deceased received single doses or two doses that are not more than 14 days from the day of the second dose while 19,998 or 67.1% cases were not vaccinated,” he said.

Among the main factors that contributed to the deaths include chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

Based on the data, Dr Noor Azmi said 23,621 or 79.24% deaths had at least a comorbidity factor and 15,501 of them were not vaccinated.