The nurses’ quarters, fondly remembered as the nurses’ home by retired nurses and midwives, have stood through the testament of time. Built for the purpose of accommodating trainee nurses post-war, the building played an important role in Kuching/Sarawak’s medicinal history. It is where nurses stay when they are not on shifts or lecturing at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH), which is located just on the opposite side of the main building.
Though it was a temporary home for many now-retired nurses and midwives, during an interview session with several of them on October 5, 2023, I learned that, despite the decades that have passed, the memories they had while living in the quarters are still fresh in their minds. They remembered the building not just for the purpose it was built for but also for the laughter, chatter, naughty shenanigans, cries and excitement that they’d experienced within the walls of the quarters.
Aside from the memories, the developments that were made at the site bear witness to the advancing times. The original building built in the 40s and 50s is significantly different compared to the newer building built in the 1970s in terms of architectural design and facilities.
Here are some of the stories shared by six different individuals who have stayed at the nurses’ home between the 1950s and the 1970s:
How was your experience staying at the nurses’ home?
Khoo Lee Kian (stayed in 1954): It was okay. There were not many people back then. Maybe about 20 of us. We had cooks cooking for us. We would discuss amongst ourselves what to buy and what to eat, and then we would inform the ‘ahmas’ that cooked for us. We normally ate vegetables and pork. At the time, we didn’t have any Muslim nurses. Only in the 1960s did we welcome our first Muslim nurse.
At that time, the older people thought that being a nurse or a midwife were ‘dirty’ and low-class jobs. Especially for an unmarried girl. Seeing this situation, many would opt to give birth to an experienced but untrained midwife at kampung instead. Back then, people preferred these types of services as they could go to your house during labour and stay with you until whenever.
When I first entered, I felt more or less at home because I was brought up without my parents looking after me. I was quite independent, so I didn’t feel lonely, and I easily made friends with the other nurses. The front porch is where they hold dancing parties at the end of the year. It was very enjoyable.
We were taken care of by local sisters during our time at the nurses’ home. The first one was Sister Kim Lan. The second one was Mrs Wee.
Why did you become a nurse?
Josephine (stayed in 1955): To be honest, I don’t really know why. That time, after I left school, I didn’t know what to do, and nobody guided me, so I don’t know how to apply for anything. I didn’t even know how to draft a letter, so I asked my neighbour to help me. Straightaway, I got accepted as a trainee.
All of the nurses, when you join the service, need to stay in the nursing quarters. Otherwise, if you work the morning shift, how do you come down to work when there’s no transportation?
We were quite naughty back then. Because we stayed there, we had all the freedom. We went in to make friends, and we were all a bit naughty. The light was supposed to be off at 10 pm, so we would group together, and with our pocket money, we would buy peanuts and eat together with no lights. And then the next morning, the cleaners came to clean the place and saw peanut shells everywhere, she told the warden, who then scolded us.
I left the quarters in 1960 because, at that time, we were granted the right to stay at our own home, provided we graduated. So I was the first one to leave the nurses’ home. (Only in the 1960s were qualified nurses allowed to stay out, especially when they had their own vehicle to travel around.)
Staying at the nurses’ home, we would have Christmas parties every year. But when the colonel and European sisters left, there were no more parties (probably around the 1960s, and they possibly left after the formation of Malaysia).
During my time of training, the sisters at the hospital were mostly Europeans. They are very strict and very disciplined. At night, I need to turn off all the lights and leave one on for the patients. In the morning, I can only turn on the light at 4 am.
Staying beside the cemetery, was it scary?
Madeline Morten (stayed in 1961): I never experienced anything regarding the place being haunted.
Can you describe the home?
Madeline Morten: When you come in the main entrance, there’s an open space. There’s a staircase that would go up to the rooms. There were a few rooms, and each could accommodate two trainees. The buildings were made of cement.
Veronica Kuek (stayed in 1961): I stayed until 1965. I stayed in both buildings (A and B), and they are both more or less the same.
Ivy Lim (stayed in 1963): I did three years of nursing training, and one year in midwifery. I stayed in the new block — Block B. The first building has a hall, kitchen, and dining area, while the second building doesn’t have one. The second one only has rooms.
Zubaidah (stayed in 1974): I stayed there until 1977. I stayed in all three blocks. When I first came, I stayed at Block C. Then, when I was in my second year, I moved to Block A. In my final year, I went to Block D. The department had to make a new block to accommodate more students.
I had to move several times because new students came in. But from my experience, the newer the building, the better the facilities, such as a sink in the room and better bathroom areas.
However, during all those years, it’s still 10 pm lights off. Then the warden will check from room to room. Breakfast is from 5 am to 9 pm. Dinner is at 4 pm, so most of the times, at 10 pm I become hungry again!
A heritage of stories
While what’s left of the quarters today are only the remnants, listening to the ladies chatter away their memories of the nurses’ home makes it clear that it wasn’t just quarters that were left; it’s also a part of the history of a modern medical facility in Kuching.
The first hospital in Kuching was established in 1910 on the current site of the Kuching old prison. Since medical facilities are an important element of an area, having a proper and established medical system can affect the healthcare system positively. The hospital was then relocated to its present site at Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg in 1931.
Therefore, the nurses’ home, amidst its background stories, laid one of the earliest foundations of nursing in Kuching, Sarawak.
