The significance of primary health care design evolution to health trend in Malaysia

• Main Author: Mohd Nawawi, Norwina
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English; English
• Published: 2004
• Subjects: NA Architecture; R Medicine (General); TH4021 Buildings. Construction with reference to use.
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/11693/1/THE_SIGNIFICANCE_OF_PRIMARY_HEALTHCARE_DESIGN_EVOLUTION_TO_HEALTH_TREND_IN_MALAYSIA-1.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/11693/4/UIA-PHG2004.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/11693/; http://www.uia-public-health-group.org/index-2.html

Primary Health Care (PHC) in any country provides the accessibility and backbone to the nation’s health as first point of contact for people and the healthcare system. In Malaysia, besides the mushrooming of general practitioners (GPs) in the private sector found only in urban areas, the public sector healthcare system covers the whole country in many location and forms. The study is thus to rediscover the significance of the design evolution in this sector of healthcare to the health trend of the country that makes Malaysia as one of the worlds’ successful developing country meeting the WHO slogan Health for All by 2000. To understand the design of the facilities that support the services, one needs to understand the philosophy of the services and hence an insight into the definition of the terms to physical connotation that accounts for the form, style and configuration of the architecture or facility. As the study is a historical journey leading to current scenario, selective historical health statistics to account for the health trend may be use. The outcome of the study would be able to provide a clear demarcation on the rationality or whimsical phase of the design evolution that had enveloped the dynamism of the healthcare sector in this part of the world from inception. The study also aimed to provide an insight to the peculiarity of the region with regards to culture, tradition and acceptance of modern medicine in the form of a built facility. These outcomes, however modest should be able to lead and denote the policy makers on the need to address the various factors of the community it is planned and designed to serve more than just providing the healthcare services.