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 in 80 km from Ipoh and 85 km from Penang which is able to serve the northern states of Malaysia.

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.