Assunta Hospital

History

The history of Assunta Hospital is closely linked to the establishment of Petaling Jaya, a satellite city developed in 1952 to ease the problem of overpopulation in Kuala Lumpur. With a founding population of 800 people who stayed mostly at the area known as Old Town today, it soon became clear that Petaling Jaya needed a reliable healthcare provider.

Understanding the need for medical services, four Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (FMM) nuns started a small clinic named Ave Maria at Section 1 to serve the healthcare needs of the underprivileged in 1954. Through public donations, the little clinic was soon expanded to include a maternity home and convent.

By 1957, the population of Petaling Jaya had grown so rapidly that the clinic cum-maternity home could no longer meet the needs of the people. Led by philanthropist and one of the founding members of MCA, the late Tun Leong Yew Koh, a large-scale fundraising event was conducted, which successfully raised enough funds to build the hospital on its current location in 1959.

Doctor performing surgery on a patient with Nurses in the early days of Assunta Hospital More firsts were in store, with the Kidney Unit established in 1967 and the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in 1971. Limited resources in terms of staff strength and facilities were no match for the sheer dedication and deep compassion of the FMM sisters and the hospital staff.

In 1974, the Assunta Foundation was formed and the management of the now full-fledged hospital was handed over to a Board of Directors by the FMM sisters. The main function of the Board is to assist the hospital maintain a balance between providing affordable healthcare and sustaining the hospital’s operations amidst rising costs.

Unlike normal business models where shareholders get to enjoy a share of the company’ profits, the honorary members of the board, consisting of FMM sisters and prominent figures in society, contribute their time and effort on a voluntary basis to regulate the hospital operations.

Being a not-for-profit establishment, the hospital operates on a premise of social entrepreneurship, where 70% of its profits are reinvested back for further expansion of the hospital, investment in new equipment and technology, renovation and modernization of the facilities and also to cover the operational costs of the hospital.

The remaining 30% are channeled to the Social Welfare Fund to provide subsidised medical care to patients from the lower social economic group and those who qualify for medical aid, based on criteria set by the Social Welfare committee.

A decade later, the Assunta Hospital Community Service (AHCS) was established.

[[Category:Hospitals established