THE Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah today graced the opening ceremony of the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Hospital, in Kampar.
The ceremony was attended by Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad, UTAR Hospital chairman Tan Sri Prof Dr Chuah Hean Teik, and UTAR Chancellor Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik.
In his speech, Chuah said the idea of UTAR having its own teaching hospital was a natural progression after the establishment of the M. Kandiah Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (MK FMHS) at the UTAR Sungai Long Campus, Selangor in 2009.
Located within the beautiful landscape of the UTAR Kampar Campus, the hospital benefits from a spacious environment and its strategic accessibility to nearby communities, including Ipoh, Gopeng, Tapah, Proton City, Tanjung Malim, Teluk Intan, Cameron Highlands and Malim Nawar.
He also highlighted the hospital's unique approach to healthcare, which integrates Western medicine with Traditional and Complementary Medicine (TCM) under one roof.
He said that the TCM Centre offered treatments rooted in Chinese, Indian, and Malay traditional medicine, providing patients with a holistic healing experience.
“The facilities include out-patient and in-patient treatment, diagnostic and treatment centres, medical and non-medical support services, research and education facilities. “There is a provision to expand by an additional 250 beds in the future when the need arises,” he said.
Chuah said the initial cost of construction, facilities, and medical equipment amounted to RM300 million as they have fund raising activities such as tree planting projects, charity concerts and dinners, while receiving the trust and generous support of many organisations, philanthropists, donors and individuals.
He stressed the hospital's commitment to a balanced healthcare model that not only embraced modern medical advancements but also prioritised preventive care and community well-being.
According to Datuk Seri Kalimullah Hassan, who is a member of the non-profit UTAR Foundation board of trustees, the hospital was built totally from public donations.
"Since it started operations last year, it has provided conventional and traditional medicine and affordable treatment to more than 100,000 patients from Perak and neighbouring states," he said.
He said two of the biggest donors were Indonesian businessman Low Tuck Cheong and Malaysia's top private equity fund manager Brahmal Vasudevan and his wife, Shanti Candiah, who is a lawyer.
"As a member of the board of trustees, which owns the hospital, I was overwhelmed to meet people like Low and the other donors," he said.
Kalimullah said he and his partner have been involved in various educational programmes for the last 20 years in UTAR under ECM Libra Foundation, but not to the scale of Brahmal and Low.
"I love this quote by Broker Washington - those who are the happiest are those who do the most for others.
"We can only offer our thanks to the thousands of people who made it possible to build UTAR which has produced more than 200,000 graduates and the UTAR Hospital which provides affordable care to those who can least afford it.
"Only the almighty can reward you," he added. – February 19, 2025
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