University Malaya Medical Centre

The University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) or Pusat Perubatan Universiti Malaya (PPUM) (formerly known as University Hospital or Hospital Universiti) is the first university hospital in Malaysia.

The hospital is a teaching and public hospital which comes under the Ministry of Higher Education. Other university hospitals in Malaysia are Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) and Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (Kubang Kerian, Kelantan).

The main objectives of UMMC are to provide health services, learning and research in the fields of medicine. UMMC is the place to get modern medical facilities for the Klang Valley area and was the first learning centre that provided medical and paramedic staffs in the health industry.

UMMC also have a private wing which is the UMSC - University Malaya Specialist Centre.

History

Up to the 1950’s, the Faculty of Medicine, National University of Singapore, which was known previously as King Edward VII College of Medicine had been the only medical school in Malaya and Singapore.

The output of doctors at that time was small: 60 per year. Many Malaysians had to go overseas to seek undergraduate medical education. It was not until 1960 that a determined effort was made to double the intake of students to 120 per year in Singapore.

In 1960, a board of studies of the University of Malaya was appointed to study the feasibility of establishing a medical school with its own teaching hospital. The board recommended the early establishment of both. To this end, the Government of Malaysia agreed and the Ministries of Education and of Health provided the necessary capital funds.

In 1962, Tan Sri Professor T.J. Danaraj was appointed the Foundation Dean for the Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur. The first batch of medical students was admitted to the Faculty in 1964. A year earlier, these students, 40 of them, were placed in the Faculty of Science as pre-medical students. Construction of the faculty building began in July 1963, was completed in 10 months, so that the pioneer students were able to begin their course in May 1964. The first batch of doctors from University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur graduated in 1969.

The building programme continued and the second phase was ready in time for Year II teaching the following May. Throughout this period, planning, building, ordering and receiving of equipment, recruitment of staff, organization of the Faculty, and discussions on the curriculum continued unremittingly.

On 2nd August 1965, The Honourable Deputy Prime Minister, the late Tun Haji Abdul Razak Bin Hussein officiated the opening ceremony of the Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya and also laid the foundation stone for the then University Hospital Kuala Lumpur.

Phase I of the University Malaya Medical Centre consisting of the main block together with podium or “technical box” (operating theatres, radio-diagnostic, accident and emergency, polyclinic, pharmacy, central sterile supply, cafeteria, administration and medical records) was completed in December 1966, and the first wards were opened as on March 1967.

Phase II of the Hospital consisting of Paediatric, Maternity and Rehabilitation Units was completed in December 1967, and became functional in March 1968. The total construction period for the Medical Centre consisting of the Faculty departments, Hospital (740 beds), Hostel for Clinical Students, Nurses Quarters with Nursing School and Central Animal House was three and a half years.

On 5th August 1968, the opening ceremony of the University Hospital was officially graced by His Majesty Duli Yang Maha Mulia Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Zainal Abidin. University Hospital spread rapidly with preparation of some facilities and infrastructure such as 2 pediatric wads and 2 surgery orthopedic wards in 1975, Perubatan Rawatan Utama building in 1992, Clinical Diagnostic Lab and Clinical Services Complex on 1997 and Trauma & Emergency building in 2003.

Over the past three decades, the medical centre has expanded tremendously, and today it has 900 beds (the number will be increased to 1200 beds after renovation).

External links

* [http://www.ummc.edu.my University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) official website]
* [http://www.um.edu.my University of Malaya official website]