SIBU: Two major activities will be organised in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of the Lau King Howe Hospital Memorial Museum.
The activities aim to promote the museum as a tourist destination while raising funds to help cover its operating costs.
“We have close to 500 visitors a month, or between 4,000 and 5,000 visitors a year. By organising these activities, we hope to create greater awareness of the museum, which is the only medical museum in the country,” said Temenggong Datuk Vincent Lau Lee Ming.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday (Aug. 12), Lau, who is the museum association chairman, also encouraged the public to take the opportunity to visit the museum.
He also urged tour operators to include the museum in their list of tourist destinations.
“Our operating cost is RM12,000 a month, which includes the salaries of two staff members and basic amenities. The funds raised will be used to cover the operating costs,” he explained.
One of the activities is a 5km fun run scheduled for December 13 at 5:30 am, with the Town Square as the starting point.
The run is limited to 1,000 participants, with a registration fee of RM50 per person.
Every participant will receive a T-shirt, while those who complete the run will be presented with a specially designed medal. There will also be a lucky draw featuring 15 prizes.
Registration can be made by scanning the QR code available on the museum’s Facebook account. The closing date for registration is September 30.
“We are also trying to secure sponsors for the run. Donors will be categorised into three tiers: gold at RM10,000, silver at RM5,000 and bronze at RM3,000,” said Lau.
Lau said a 30th anniversary souvenir umbrella, ballpoint pen and towel would also be available for sale at the museum.
Separately, he said museum visitors could contribute any amount to the donation box.
Those born at the former Lau King Howe Hospital can also register as a “hospital baby” by making a minimum donation of RM1.
Touching on the museum, Lau recalled that it was established following the opening of Sibu General Hospital in Jalan Oya in 1994.
“Thirty years ago, the government decided to build Sibu General Hospital, so the Lau King Howe Hospital facilities had to be moved there. Initially, there were plans to demolish the buildings here to make way for commercial development.
“However, through the efforts of the United Chinese Association, the former outpatient unit of the hospital was preserved and turned into a medical museum,” he said.
He said the museum was established to commemorate the late Lau King Howe, who contributed half of the hospital’s total construction cost of $80,000, with the other half borne by the government.
The hospital, which operated for 60 years, was named after Lau King Howe.
“The Lau King Howe Hospital not only provided healthcare services to the people of Sibu, but also those in the central region, including Kanowit, Bintangor, Song, Kapit and Mukah,” he said.
The museum was established to preserve the “spirit of Lau King Howe” – his sincerity, inner goodness, benevolence, generosity and profound love for the sick, poor and disadvantaged.
The museum is educational, as it attempts to illustrate changing patterns of disease – from infectious diseases such as diphtheria, malaria and tuberculosis, which were prevalent from the 1930s to the 1950s, to chronic diseases that are prevalent today, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension and heart disease.
It also illustrates the progress of medicine. Inside the museum are 772 exhibits of age-old medical equipment from the Lau King Howe Hospital, alongside pictorial displays of modern equipment available at Sibu Hospital today.
The memorial museum is marked by a statue of the late Lau King Howe.
Visitors can also view records of Lau’s life, photographs and materials depicting the development of the hospital, as well as equipment and tools used at the Lau King Howe Hospital and other hospitals in Sarawak.
The museum opens from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Tuesday to Sunday, including public holidays. It is closed on Mondays.
Entrance is free.
