Page 54 - Malayan Story
P. 54
MALAYAN STORY
CHAPTER 16 MEDICAL WORK
The question of medical work came up early in Percy’s time in Singapore. Mr. Michell, the Home
Director in England, wrote asking about openings for medical workers. Dr. Molesworth who was in
charge of the leprosarium in Kuala Lumpur also wrote, taking it for granted that the CIM would have
at least two medical workers ready to move straight in to the leprosarium.
The Secretary for Chinese Affairs in Johore, Mr. Horsley was in touch with Percy saying that he
would do all he could to facilitate dispensary work by CIM workers in Johore. Percy wrote during
this time, “This kind of thing has been coming in from all quarters until it seems clear that we as a
Mission have a very real challenge to do medical work in the Federation.”
In some of the villages there were already government dispensaries run by government appointed
nurses or Red Cross nurses. In both cases they were glad to have the help of any missionary nurses
allocated to their village. In other villages it was possible for CIM nurses to set up their own clinic.
Even when we were still unable to get through to the older people, in those villages where we had
nurses, medical work opened the door.
In Sungei Way, Feme Blair, who was a trained nurse, opened a small clinic every evening in the
front room of their flat which was open to the street. Major illnesses or accidents still had to go to a
doctor in the hospital in Kuala Lumpur, but any minor illnesses or injuries could be treated by Feme.
This made them better known in the village, especially to the mothers, and helped break down some
of the suspicion of foreigners.
In other villages such as Scudai, Red Cross nurses already had a clinic which they visited regularly
in their Red Cross van. When they became aware that the two missionaries there were both nurses,
they gladly welcomed their help. The missionaries were not only able to help with medical work, but
at times were useful as interpreters in Mandarin Chinese or one of the local dialects that they had
learnt. In Serdang the two missionaries were also both nurses and when the Red Cross nurse retired,
they were invited to move into the cottage that had been built for the Red Cross nurse and carry on
as much of the clinic work as they could.
In Sungu church there was no clinic in the beginning, but with the arrival later of two nurses a small
clinic and dispensary was set up in rather cramped quarters. The government later built a much
larger room as a dispensary and when the Wiks moved into the area, Mrs. Wik was able to take over
the dispensary work.
Dr. and Mrs. Pearce lived and worked in Cha’ah and accomplished a lot through their full time
medical work. They placed a notice outside their home stating that their hours were 3pm to 5pm
daily except Sundays. They would usually deal with 20 to 30 patients in this time. They registered
each patient by asking them to produce their government identity card. When Dr. Pearce was asked
to do home visits, he usually went in the mornings. He also helped the local midwife when required
54
CHAPTER 16 MEDICAL WORK
The question of medical work came up early in Percy’s time in Singapore. Mr. Michell, the Home
Director in England, wrote asking about openings for medical workers. Dr. Molesworth who was in
charge of the leprosarium in Kuala Lumpur also wrote, taking it for granted that the CIM would have
at least two medical workers ready to move straight in to the leprosarium.
The Secretary for Chinese Affairs in Johore, Mr. Horsley was in touch with Percy saying that he
would do all he could to facilitate dispensary work by CIM workers in Johore. Percy wrote during
this time, “This kind of thing has been coming in from all quarters until it seems clear that we as a
Mission have a very real challenge to do medical work in the Federation.”
In some of the villages there were already government dispensaries run by government appointed
nurses or Red Cross nurses. In both cases they were glad to have the help of any missionary nurses
allocated to their village. In other villages it was possible for CIM nurses to set up their own clinic.
Even when we were still unable to get through to the older people, in those villages where we had
nurses, medical work opened the door.
In Sungei Way, Feme Blair, who was a trained nurse, opened a small clinic every evening in the
front room of their flat which was open to the street. Major illnesses or accidents still had to go to a
doctor in the hospital in Kuala Lumpur, but any minor illnesses or injuries could be treated by Feme.
This made them better known in the village, especially to the mothers, and helped break down some
of the suspicion of foreigners.
In other villages such as Scudai, Red Cross nurses already had a clinic which they visited regularly
in their Red Cross van. When they became aware that the two missionaries there were both nurses,
they gladly welcomed their help. The missionaries were not only able to help with medical work, but
at times were useful as interpreters in Mandarin Chinese or one of the local dialects that they had
learnt. In Serdang the two missionaries were also both nurses and when the Red Cross nurse retired,
they were invited to move into the cottage that had been built for the Red Cross nurse and carry on
as much of the clinic work as they could.
In Sungu church there was no clinic in the beginning, but with the arrival later of two nurses a small
clinic and dispensary was set up in rather cramped quarters. The government later built a much
larger room as a dispensary and when the Wiks moved into the area, Mrs. Wik was able to take over
the dispensary work.
Dr. and Mrs. Pearce lived and worked in Cha’ah and accomplished a lot through their full time
medical work. They placed a notice outside their home stating that their hours were 3pm to 5pm
daily except Sundays. They would usually deal with 20 to 30 patients in this time. They registered
each patient by asking them to produce their government identity card. When Dr. Pearce was asked
to do home visits, he usually went in the mornings. He also helped the local midwife when required
54
