Taiping Hospital

Taiping Hospital or formerly known as Yong Wah Hospital was the first modern government-funded hospital established in Malaysia. Located at Jalan Taming Sari (Main Road) near the commercial town center, it is one of the biggest hospitals in Malaysia and is the biggest in the State of Perak. The hospital is strategically situated 80 km from Ipoh and 85 km from Penang and serves the northern states of Malaysia.

The hospital is accessible through two main gates: one along Jalan Taming Sari, and one along Jalan Stesen (Station Road). A smaller gate directly opposite the Taiping Railway Station can also be used to access the hospital, but it is further away from the main buildings.

The Taiping Hospital is the Cluster Hospital for North Perak and receives patients from other hospitals from surrounding municipalities and districts. Other hospitals that may transfer their patients here are Hospital Kuala Kangsar, Hospital Parit Buntar, Hospital Selama dan Hospital Gerik, which are all hospitals that do not have specialist doctors on staff. There are several specialist clinics and an orthodontic clinic available here.

Clinical Services Available:

• Anesthesiology
• Trauma and Emergency
• Pediatrics
• Psychiatry and Mental Health
• Medical
• Nephrology

Visiting Hours:

Mondays to Fridays: 12:30pm – 2.00pm, 5.00pm – 7.00pm
Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays: 12:30pm – 2.00pm, 5.00pm – 7.00pm

History

Yong Wah Hospital or the Chinese Pauper Hospital was the first established hospital in the Federated Malay States. Established in 1880 to treat the Chinese coolies and tin-miners who were often sick and suffered from various diseases, such as diarrhea, cholera, malaria, beriberi, dysentery, and pulmonary diseases. Its establishment was developed parallel with the significant economic growth in the town. The hospital gained financial support from the Chinese merchants while the State Government aided medical apparatuses, medicines, and nursing staff. With consideration to the poor people’s welfare, the hospital only charged a minimum fee of 50 cents per annum from the poor coolies. The hospital’s policies worked out efficiently for the first six months since its establishment, but it later faced difficulties in collecting the fees. The reason was most coolies unable to settle their medical fees due to their low income.