PUBLIC healthcare conjures up images of snaking queues, inexorably long waits and lack of space to properly admit and care for patients in need of urgent medical attention.

Ask most patients and they’d tell you they almost expired while waiting or some such less-than-pleasant experience.

Compare and contrast with the experience of Threader @nsheilajamara who had brought her mother to Tung Shin Hospital in Kuala Lumpur for acupuncture treatment – a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine a.k.a. TCM – that is made available at the medical facility’s Chinese Medical Department.

The poster explained that it was their first visit to a “Chinese hospital” as usually they would seek treatment at Wisma Buddhist Medical Welfare Centre which happened to be closed on that day.

Editor’s Note: Tung Shin Hospital is a not-for-profit, non-governmental community hospital rather than a commercial corporate entity.

It started in 1881 as Pooi Shin Thong, a charity founded by Kapitan Cina Yap Kwan Seng to give free care to poor settlers.

However, she could not hide her amazement at the level of service to patients, exclaiming “Wow, what an experience. It was a real privilege to experience the environment and watch how they operate ”.

“Those with knee pain don’t have to worry about walking far. There is a buggy service ,” quipped the poster.

The post has generated 2.2K likes, 224 comments, 460 re-posts and 1K shares at time of writing, denoting that quality and affordable healthcare is an important issue for many a citizen.

Praise was aplenty for Tung Shin Hospital’s level of quality TCM healthcare and medical professionals who can even treat “chronic eczema” without steroid as prescribed by western medicine.

Affordability was mentioned as a key highlight as many patients are unable to afford the fees charged at private healthcare facilities. The poster noted charges ranged from as low RM30 to RM100 (for the treatment for her mother).

Waiting times were also eased by counters that were actually functioning leading to patients’ satisfactory experiences.

One commenter did point out that acupuncture treatment was available at government hospitals, citing Putrajaya and Selayang hospitals among those that do offer such healthcare.

However, it is NOT whether such treatment was available but rather the level of service that is in contention.

Quite a few pointed out that the nominal RM1 fee for public health services was just unsustainable as it would not help cover surging medical costs.

Another disgruntled citizen highlighted that government hospitals also needed to care for Rohingya refugees, thus further taxing the public healthcare system.

Aside from Tung Shin Hospital, the Wisma Buddha Medical Welfare Centre was also praised for providing affordable healthcare “which was even cheaper than Tung Shin Hospital”, according to one grateful patient who thanked those responsible for setting up these non-profit healthcare facilities for the benefit of all Malaysians.

Of course, amid all the positivity about the pleasant experiences, there were still those who sought to create mischief.

One agent provocateur thought that poster being Muslim may run into trouble for seeking treatment at “Wisma Buddha” but was swiftly put in his place by unimpressed netizens.

It was also highlighted that more Malay patients are seeking treatment at “Chinese hospitals”.

Efficient and affordable healthcare is a must for any country striving to be a fully-developed nation. Tung Shin Hospital (and Wisma Buddhist Medical Welfare Centre) has shown that the way forward. – Aug 5, 2026

@saipul.rayyan8_tsc
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Main image credit: Straits Times Singapore

The post As their faith deepens, Malay patients now wonder if public hospitals can replicate Tung Shin’s TCM prowess first appeared on Focus Malaysia.