The Queen's hospital: A shared history
Published on: Sunday, June 15, 2025
Published on: Sun, Jun 15, 2025
By: Sherell Jeffrey Text Size: Aerial view of development that has taken place since. The hospital is at far right. – Pic by Jimmy Goh IF there is one major institution that binds Sabahans and foreigners alike in the state, it is the Queen Elizabeth Hospital built in 1957. For almost 70 years – or more than two generations – it was the 'go to' place to seek cures for every ailment from fever or influenza to tuberculosis and malaria.
Advertisement Or sent to if one was injured in the workplace, victim of an accident or if any organ in the body needed to be fixed. To many, it was the place they were born and where they were sent to first for confirmation of death. So much so that whenever the word 'Queen' was mentioned, everyone knew it could only be one thing, i.e. the hospital. Not just any ordinary hospital but easily the most advanced and best in the region. It was where many medical personnel from dressers to nurses and doctors to surgeons received their training before going on to improve the lives of others, whether by being posted outside the state capital or deciding to enter private practice. For the Commonwealth Association of Leadership Malaysia (CALM), a NGO dedicated to service and leadership, something else also mattered – why one of Sabah's best loved and important institutions lacked any visible identification on its building. 'It was like whoever designed it forgot to put it up because there was one on top of the building when the previous block was built in 1982. But there was none after a newer and more modern complex took its place around 2012,' said CALM President Yap Li Ling. She said because there was no high-level signage the hospital funded by British taxpayers costing £2 million – equivalent to £50 million today after allowing for inflation and currency depreciation – was often confused for something else. 'Some were not sure which was QEH and which was QEH2, another imposing block that was built much later several kilometres away in Luyang.' She said by ensuring that the original historical QEH celebrates its name, we also acknowledge our shared history and how far we have come. 'What was also being missed with the absence of an elevated visible signage is the tourism appeal. 'Because following the Queen's passing last year, there has been renewed interest in her legacies throughout the Commonwealth that bears her name. 'The hospital stands a living witness to that twilight of empire and the dawn of new nations,' she said, noting that it went up within 10 years of jurisdiction over British North Borneo being transferred from the Chartered Company to the Crown by an Order of Council in Buckingham Palace in 1946. This was accompanied by an immediate disbursement of one million pounds sterling from the Royal Purse to get services started in the war-torn colony. The decision on jurisdiction transfer also made Sabah (as it came to be known upon self-government on 31.8.1963) the very last addition to the once mighty British Empire, with India being the first in the Commonwealth to be given independence. Li Ling said what, initially, started as a signage project also branched into something more meaningful when Daily Express became a strategic partner. It was decided that there should also be a historical gallery and a video documentary detailing the hospital's history and how medical services in the former colony evolved after the war to the present day. She said assistance extended by Sabah Archives and the Information Department in access to archival materials and old photographs also proved valuable. A video documenting the hospital's journey is now available on YouTube titled 'The Queen's hospital in Borneo' at https://youtu.be/9QpA3tCPv_A 'From this project, people from all over the world will learn a bit about Sabah's history, which gave rise to this magnificent institution,' Li Ling said. The project gained international recognition when CALM committee members, including Li Ling, travelled to Windsor Castle in April, this year, to personally brief Princess Anne, who visited the hospital in 1972, with her late parents. 'When we shared the story and significance of this local project, Her Royal Highness was visibly thoughtful and warmly engaged. She expressed genuine interest in the hospital's legacy and the leadership effort behind the initiative,' Li Ling said. 'To everyone at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, doctors, nurses, technicians, cleaners, administrators and every hand that keeps this place running, thank you for your service. This project is for you,' she said. - For the record, the first proper medical facility to be built was the 100-bed Duchess of Kent Hospital in Sandakan in 1951. However, after the colonial administration decided to shift the capital to Jesselton (now Kota Kinabalu) after the war, it was decided that a bigger and better hospital was needed on the west coast for the increasing population there. A spot was decided midway between the new state capital and the nearest native community of Penampang, near Kopungit, where deer and wild boar used to be in abundance. Work started in mid-1955 and was completed in two years. Its official opening by the Countess of Perth and the Minister for the Colonies on September 15, 1957 was a grand spectacle with 70 Bajau horsemen accompanying the VIPs all the way to the site. It started with just 140 beds under a single matron, a single nurse tutor who trained the first batch of 17 nurses, 34 medical assistants and two church Sisters. Today, this has expanded since to 775 beds and the past 70 years has seen the many new types of treatment being possible from its highly trained medical staff.
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