Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital
Encyclopedia
Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital (SAHH), formerly known as Hospital Sungai Petani, is a government-funded public hospital situated in Sungai Petani
Sungai Petani
Sungai Petani is a town in the state of Kedah, in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia. Sungai Petani is the second largest town in Kedah after Alor Star.-Etmylogy:...

, Kedah
Kedah
Kedah is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice...

, Malaysia. It is a 498-bed hospital which provides secondary and tertiary specialist services.

The hospital, costing USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

 150 million, is one of the most high-tech hospitals in northern Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...

 with Total Hospital Information System. The Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital was handed over by the Public Works Department to the Health Ministry on July 23, 2006.

The hospital provides laparoscopic
Laparoscopy
Laparoscopy is an operation performed in the abdomen or pelvis through small incisions with the aid of a camera...

 gynaecology
Gynaecology
Gynaecology or gynecology is the medical practice dealing with the health of the female reproductive system . Literally, outside medicine, it means "the science of women"...

 operations. It is a recognized training center for gynaecologists in this field. It is also a center for thoracic surgery for the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...

. This hospital is a training hospital for AIMST University
AIMST University
The Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology University, founded on 15 March 2001, is a private university in Malaysia established by the Maju Institute of Educational Development , the educational arm of the Malaysian Indian Congress , a component party of the Barisan Nasional...

.

The hospital is named after Kedah's current Sultan, Sultan Abdul Halim
Tuanku Abdul Halim
Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, GCB KStJ is the designate Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia following his election in 2011, as well as the 27th and current Sultan of Kedah. He previously served as the fifth Yang di-Pertuan Agong from 1970 to 1975...

.

History

The hospital's history dates back to 1920 when the Medical Officer Central Kedah was set up. It was headed by Dr. Richard Brunel Hawes from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. At that time, the hospital was surrounded by rubber estates and jungles with wild animals.

During the Japanese Occupation in 1942, the psychiatric wing was moved to the Bedong Group Estate because the building was used as a Japanese army camp. After the British returned at the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, the psychiatric wing was shifted back to its original home.

The hospital was then renamed the Sungai Petani District Hospital. It was situated in a land with the size of 36 acres (145,687 m²) and had 396 beds. At first the hospital did not have any specialists. Specialist services were only started in 1974 with Obstetrics and Gynaecology as well as Internal Medicine.

Due to the rapid growth of Sungai Petani
Sungai Petani
Sungai Petani is a town in the state of Kedah, in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia. Sungai Petani is the second largest town in Kedah after Alor Star.-Etmylogy:...

 district, the need for a new hospital that would keep up with the growing needs of the community became evident. Construction was started on a new 550 bed hospital which would be one of the most up-to-date in Northern Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...

 in Amanjaya. The cost of construction was USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

 150 million. The hospital was handed over by the Public Works Department to the Health Ministry on July 23, 2006.

Specialisations

SAHH currently offers specialist services in 11 fields, as follows:
  • Internal Medicine
  • Thoracic Surgery
  • Obstetrics and Gynaecology
  • Orthopaedics
  • Anaesthesiology
  • Ophthalmology
  • Otorhinolaryngology (ENT)
  • Radiology
  • Pathology
  • Paediatrics
  • Psychiatry and Mental Health


The hospital provides laparoscopic
Laparoscopy
Laparoscopy is an operation performed in the abdomen or pelvis through small incisions with the aid of a camera...

 gynaecology
Gynaecology
Gynaecology or gynecology is the medical practice dealing with the health of the female reproductive system . Literally, outside medicine, it means "the science of women"...

 operations. It is a recognized training center for gynaecologists in this field. It is also a center for thoracic surgery for the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...

.

Teaching Hospital

SAHH serves as a teaching hospital for medical students from AIMST University
AIMST University
The Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology University, founded on 15 March 2001, is a private university in Malaysia established by the Maju Institute of Educational Development , the educational arm of the Malaysian Indian Congress , a component party of the Barisan Nasional...

. It is a recognized training center for gynaecologists in the field of laparoscopic
Laparoscopy
Laparoscopy is an operation performed in the abdomen or pelvis through small incisions with the aid of a camera...

 gynaecology
Gynaecology
Gynaecology or gynecology is the medical practice dealing with the health of the female reproductive system . Literally, outside medicine, it means "the science of women"...

operations.
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