Background

The history of health dated back before independence. The construction of hospitals during the period were to treat tin mining workers and each workers were charge 50 cents a year for treatment. The booming tin mining industry in Perak led to the state having the most hospitals by the end of the 19th century. 15 hospitals in Perak are situated at Taiping, Teluk Intan, Tapah, Sg.Siput, Slim River, Sri Manjung, Selama, Parit Buntar, Kuala Kangsar, Kampar, Ipoh, Grik, Changkat Melintang, Batu Gajah and Tanjung Rambutan.

 

Taiping Hospital was built in 1880 and considered to be the oldest hospital in Malaysia. Taping Hospital before this was known as Yeng Wah Hospital  and was the first hospital in the country to be equipped with X-Ray facility after X-Ray was introduced to the public by its inventor Prof.W.C Roentgen. Beside hospitals, research institute such as Institute for Medical Research (IMR) was established in 1900 to counter infectious diseases such as malaria and beri-beri. The objective of IMR was to study the causes and methods to control the spread of these dangerous infectious tropical diseases.

 

The concern over a possible spread of these diseases due to malnutrition, smallpox, and rabies strengthened the need for IMR in Malaysia. The intensification of research and services led to the establishment of Entomology Division and Malaria Advisory Board in 1928, The Nutrition and Biochemistry Division was established soon after, followed by the Bacteria Division and Pathology Division.

 

The history of health in Sarawak started during Rajah Brooke era whereby hospitals were specifically built for treatment of European officers and their family members. Local girl were trained to become nurses and midwives in Kuching. During the colonial period services in the state was solely for medical care in urban areas. In Sabah, the health services were established by the North Borneo Company that ruled the state from 1881 till 1942.

 

The history of health services is also tinged with the existence of Malaya Dental Services with the establishment of its first government clinic in 1929 at Cross Street (formerly known as Tun Tan Siew Sin Road ), Kuala Lumpur. To ensure a better dental services for the peoples  Dental Nurse Training College was set up in 1949 in Penang to trained nurses, dental surgery assistant and use of dental technology. The first nurses training college was Penang Nursing College, established in 1947 and was followed by the opening of nurses hostel on 16th July 1956 by Sir Donald McGilivray, K.C.M.G, MBE. Formerly known as Penang Nursing School, the college started with a new curriculum, i.e post-basic training of Pediatrics, Obstetrics, Intensive Care, Coronary and Perioperative courses.

 

College of Medical Assistant  in Ulu Kinta, Perak was the second institution established in West Malaysia to meet the need of health care services in Malaysia. Beside Ulu Kinta, College of Medical Assistant are also established in Seremban, Kuching and Alor Setar. Ulu Kinta College of Medical Assistant operated with six instructors on 1st January 1992. On 13th January 1992 the college started their basic medical assistant courses with 50 students. However the history of the college began as early as 1956 when it provided training to Assistant Nurses. In 1970, the college was used to trained Primary Hospital Assistant. In 1992, the Manpower Planning and Training Division decided to use the college to train Medical Assistants with the standard of diploma class.

 

In the 7th Malaysia Plan, the government has approved the construction of five College of Allied Health Sciences (KSKB) under the Minstry of Health,  namely Allied Health Sciences College of Sungai Buloh, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Johor Bahru and Ulu Kinta. College of Allied Health Sciences provided training from six disciplines of Nursing, Radiography and Radiotheraphy, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapist, Pharmacy Assistant and Environmental Health. The Allied Health Sciences College main objective is to conduct academic training programme in semi-professional health sciences in tandem with the manpower need especially in the field of health sciences while cultivating a positive attitude and character building, innovative and able to compete globally in the field of health sciences.

 

The government focus more on improving the socio-economic development of the rural population after Malaysia gained independence. The country has a total of 65 hospitals when it gained independence in 1957 but since then the Ministry of Health had shown an excellent achievement in providing health care services. In 20 years since independence (1957-1977), the national healthcare development had focus primarily on the development and upgrading of existing health services and it was during this period the General Health Center, Minor Health Center, Midwives Center and Clinics were built.

 

Pharmaceutical services began to develop with the establishment of the Medical store in Petaling jaya in 1964. In line with the rapid development of pharmaceuticals, the Pharmaceutical Services Division (PSD) was established in 1974 to deliver a more comprehensive pharmacy services to the Malaysian population. The National Laboratory (MKKUK), an institute responsible to conduct test for pharmaceuticals products was set up within PSD. MKKUK was renamed National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau in 1992, in tandem with its function as a pharmaceutical regulatory agency and also as the Secretariat to the Drug Control Authority.

 

The Ministry Of Health has also played a role in rehabilitation of social issues and community development. The Welfare Department was placed under the Minsitry of Health in two separate periods, from 1956 to 1957 and 1960 to 1962. During the merger, the ministry was named the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare with the honourable Dato V.T Sambathan (1957-1959) as its’ first minister. In 1963, the ministry reverted to its original name, the Ministry of Health with its’ fourth minister, the honourable Dato’ Abdul Rahman Talib (1962-1964), and the name remained to this day.

 

The Ministry of Health will continue to grow with the increase of health facilities each year. The ministry also serves as a reference from neighbouring countries in a variety of medical technologies and methods such as Cardiology and Geriatric medicine. The focus of the ministry is now more extensive especially in providing equitable, accessible and quality health facilities. This development is consistent with the pattern shift in environmental health, health technology development globally and liberally pursuant to the changes of diseases, health, environment and technological development in the world.

19-03-2010

 
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