SIBU, Jan 26: A ‘Babies of Lau King Howe Hospital’ programme has been launched today for those born in the hospital to contribute RM1 a year for the maintenance of the hospital’s museum.
The Lau King Howe Hospital Memorial Museum is a medical museum, with displays old medical instruments and other historic artifacts tied to the State’s medical history. It is also the only such medical museum in the country.
Speaking at the launching ceremony today, Assistant Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development I Dr Annuar Rapaee, said the amount collected will be used for the upkeep and operating costs of the museum.
He urged the recorded 200,000 people born in the hospital to contribute, and if possible to give more than the stipulated minimum of RM1.
“We set up this programme to bring the people together to contribute for the maintenance of the museum, and although the contribution is RM1 per year for one person, if you are aged 30 and above, you can contribute more, either RM50 or RM100, so that you no longer have to do it again,” he said.
Those who want to contribute would need to first scan the museum’s QR code which is available on its Facebook page.
The Nangka assemblyman said the museum will also undergo upgrading and preservation work.
“This is the only medical museum in the country which is displaying old medical instruments. We need to preserve the museum building. According to Universiti Technology Sarawak’s first proposal, a sum of between RM3 million to RM5 million is needed for the purpose. But the committee feels that we need more as we will be taking over the public toilet,” he said.
The toilet will later be demolished for the expansion of the museum.
“I will ask for the funding from the State government for the preservation work. We will create a visual archive of the museum and once it is ready, we will bring it up to the government,” he added.
The hospital was built in 1936 with half of the construction cost donated by the late philanthropist from China, Lau King Howe. The hospital was demolished in 1994 after the completion of Sibu Hospital.
The museum was later rebuilt in 1996 to house and display the medical instruments used by the hospital.
The museum association’s chairman Datuk Vincent Lau hoped that the government would consider allocating funds for the preservation and upgrading of the museum.
“We need to do a lot of things like changing the roofing as it has been there for many years already,” he said.
Dudong assemblyman, Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing started the donation drive for the museum’s preservation project by donating RM50,000 at the function. — DayakDaily
