RMHC Malaysia commemorates 25th anniversary of first Ronald McDonald House
Nearly 5,000 families have benefited from this facility since 1999.
SHAH ALAM - The Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Malaysia celebrated the 25th anniversary of the first Ronald McDonald House (RMH) at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz UKM (HCTM-UKM) on Dec 6.
Opened in 1999, the HCTM-UKM RMH was the first of its kind in Malaysia and Southeast Asia. The RMH provides 19 family rooms with various accommodation facilities, including a living room, laundry, kitchen, dining area, prayer room, and a children's playroom.
RMHC Malaysia president, Datuk Azmir Jaafar said that over 25 years of operation, the RMH at HCTM-UKM has supported more than 5,000 families, with an estimated 200 low-income or poor families benefiting annually.
"We hope that RMHC Malaysia can continue to assist parents by allowing them to focus on supporting their children undergoing treatment, without worrying about financial concerns and comfort.
"For over two decades, the RMH at HCTM-UKM has been providing essential support to families in need during difficult times when their children are hospitalised," he said.
He also stressed that this celebration marks a new milestone for RMHC Malaysia in its mission to assist families in need across the country.
RMH is one of the four core programmes of RMHC Malaysia, designed to provide accommodation for parents and caregivers to stay close to their children undergoing hospital treatment.
Conceptualised as a ‘home away from home,’ the facility is aimed at easing the burden on families who travel long distances for medical care, offering comfortable accommodations within hospital grounds at minimal cost.
The need for accommodation like RMH is particularly high at referral hospitals. To date, RMHC Malaysia has expanded its RMH network to three other locations, including Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan (opened in 2019); Hospital Tunku Azizah in Kuala Lumpur (opened in 2021); and Hospital Wanita dan Kanak-Kanak Sabah (opened in 2023).
Additionally, RMHC, which recently celebrated its 50th global anniversary, announced plans to open its fifth RMH near the General Hospital in Kuching, Sarawak, by 2026. This expansion is driven by high demand in East Malaysia and aims to provide better access for families in need in that region.
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