FIRST MALAYSIAN GIRL RADIOGRAPHER

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31764, 22 August 1968, Page 2

FIRST MALAYSIAN GIRL RADIOGRAPHER

Mrs Jacqueline Grenfell, the first Malaysian girl to qualify as a radiographer, is what is described in ethnic terms as a “Dutchburger.”

Although she was born in Malaysia, where she has lived most of her life, Mrs Grenfell has a mixed French, Dutch and Portuguese racial heritage. Her family originated from settlers in Ceylon, some of whom later went to Malaysia.

In Christchurch on her honeymoon, she is staying with her husband’s mother, Mrs E. M. Grenfell.

Ipoh, in the north of Malaysia, is Mrs Grenfell's home town. Her father, one of the country’s leading chest specialists and a former president

of the Malaysia Medical Association, has a private practice there. At the age of two, Mrs Grenfell was taken with her mother and sister, to India for four years during the Japanese war in Malaya. She went back to Ipoh for her primary schooling and, when she was 12, went to Australia for two years at boarding school. School conditions were better in Australia and there was more sport, Mrs Grenfell said yesterday. London Training After finishing her schooling in England, she trained as a radiographer at the University College Hospital in London and then worked there for six months. Several girls had trained in England and some in New

Zealand, under the Colombo Plan, since she became the first Malaysian girl radiographer, Mrs Grenfell said. Recently, a new school of radiology was opened In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital city, but the examining board came from England.

After six years working in the Government Hospital in Ipoh, Mrs Grenfell was one of two senior radiographers appointed to establish the radiology department at the new Kuala Lumpur University Hospital, the medical centre for the University of Malaysia. The hospital was completed about six months ago but is not yet fully functional. Ultimately, it will take all types of patients, including maternity and paediatric cases, and Will have a full staff of 2000, all Malaysians. Colombo Plan At the moment, staff number between 700 and 800 and Colombo Plan advisers from Australia and Canada are helping to set up the departments on contract. Some of the staff are still being trained abroad.

Already the hospital has some of the best modern medical and surgical equipment in Asia.

Mrs Grenfell was appointed in 1966 and worked at the university, ordering equipment, choosing supplies and generally setting up the radiology department for the new hospital. They moved into the building in March, 1967, and patients were received at the hospital at the end of last year. At present, there were about 15 radiographers but it was hoped eventually to employ 26 at the hospital, she said. An Australian radiologist was head of the department until a Malaysian was qualified to do the job. A Canadian radiologist was also helping in the meantime and there were two young Malaysian radiologists. Own Firm

Although she will live in Kuala Lumpur, Mrs Grenfell will not return to work at the hospital. Her husband is director of his own firm, Survey Research Malaysia, which has branches in Singapore, Thailand, and Hong Kong and the couple expect to travel within South-East Asia.

They met in Kuala Lumpur when they were partnered for a mixed doubles match at a tennis club. Health services in Malaysia had improved a lot in the last few years but there was still

a lack of funds and of qualified, Malaysian staff, Mrs Grenfell said. Only a small section of the community was well educated in health matters, however. The four written and eight spoken languages in the country added to the difficulties. About half of the population was under 21 years of age and about one-third of the women over 40 were illiterate.

In the rural communities, many people still went to the village doctors. When they did come to the hospitals, it was usually too late for anything to be done. The present Government was successful in keeping the spirit of a multi-racial society and had generally taised the standard of living, she said. It had improved health measures by having clinics set up in some rural areas where ♦here were no hosiptals.