Ipoh World

An increase in the number of mental patients in Malaya, notably in many of the Federated Malay States, towards the end of the 19^th century, led to the British Government’s suggestion to construct a Central Lunatic Asylum for all the Federated Malay States.

In 1906, a piece of land was reserved in Tanjong Rambutan, Perak for that particular purpose, but the reason to why Tanjong Rambutan was chosen was never really known. In building the particular asylum the location chosen had to fulfil three requirements; First, it needed to be a large area of government land in a healthy district as it was intended, from the beginning, that the asylum would have various forms of agricultural activities and poultry rearing, hence the large area needed. Secondly, it had to be on a main railway line, to be easily accessible by the railway which connected most of the States. Perak, fulfilled this requirements. Last but not least, the site had to be near a large town. Tanjong Rambutan was only a small town far away from the bustling Ipoh and Kinta Valley, but according to the Director of Public Works, was a town with important tin mining business.

Dr. William Frederick Samuel, the first Medical Superintendent of the asylum described the 573 acres of land reserved for the asylum as laden with blukar (‘belukar – grove’) and swamp. The initial plans (designed by A B Hubback) and budget were estimated to be at around £96,000 and the approved drawings and plans were obtained in July 1906. It took five years to be completed. The setup of the Federal Lunatic Asylum was planned to accept all the 250 patients from the Taiping Lunatic Asylum. It was originally planned to open in July 1911 but due to an outbreak of cholera. which many had succumbed to in the Taiping Lunatic Asylum, it was delayed until the 1^st of November 1911. Dr. W. F. Samuel, who was appointed as the Medical Superintendent, was assisted by an Assistant Surgeon, two dressers, a clerk and a store-keeper. Dr. Samuel was the Medical Superintendent of the asylum for more than 21 years, in two spells, from 1910 to April 1929 and from December 1929 to 1931.

In the early stages of development, the Federal Lunatic Asylum was a psychiatric institution that housed three male wards and one female ward which were separated by a kitchen. In 1922, the name of the asylum was changed to the Central Mental Hospital and was again changed to Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta in the early 70s, thus portraying a more positive image towards the advancement in psychiatric treatment. Today, Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta is one of the largest among the four psychiatric institutions in Malaysia, the others being: Hospital Mesra Tampoi in Johor, Hospital Sentosa in Sabah and Hospital Umum in Sarawak.

The Tanjong Rambutan buildings provide services ranging from administration to rehabilitation activities such as vegetable and fruit farming, aquaculture and poultry farming. These activities, which the patients still carry out today, covers about 300 acres of the total area. The hospital houses 78 wards where 53 of them are male s and the remaining 25 are female. All the original buildings are still being used by the hospital although some of them do not function as they were originally designed. For example, one of the original male wards has been converted to be one of the two kitchens the hospital now has.

Today, the hospital doesn’t only offer psychiatric treatment for both in-patients and out-patients but also provides a variety of other services such as physiotherapy, x-ray, dental and also basic health care just like any other hospital. Patients are mostly from the Ulu Kinta district and family members of staff. The hospital also has facilities for recreation such as golf and a large field that can cater to sporting events. These are available to the public by application in writing to the hospital administration.

To read more about A B Hubback, click here.

To read about the hospital's psychiatry museum, click here.