CRITICAL CARE SERVICES UNIT (CCSU) AT UNIVERSITY MALAYA MEDICAL CENTRE (UMMC)
Malaysia’s first Intensive Care Unit (ICU) was officially opened on 18 January 1969 in the University Hospital (UH, now UMMC). Its founding fathers, consisting of pioneering anaesthetists A. Ganendran, A.E. Delilkan, A.I Gurubatham and Ratnavel, ensured the ICU adhered to international guidelines even at its infancy.
Initially a modest 6-bedded ICU, it inevitably grew in size out of a patient-centred need. Since its inception, this ICU has been housed at several different locations in the hospital to finally establish its place on the second floor of Menara Utama, UMMC. In tandem, other specialized critical care units like Paediatrics ICU, Neonatal ICU and Cardiothoracic ICU were also established as demand for these services increased.
The adult general ICU is currently a modern 31-bedded tertiary ICU with highly skilled staff and state of the art equipment, catering to over 1,500 critically ill medical and surgical patient admissions per year. In addition, the ICU also functions as a state referral centre for critically ill pregnant women, oncology patients, liver and renal transplants, cardiac and vascular emergencies as well as trauma emergencies.
In September of 2018, the amalgamation of all critical care services in UMMC was formalized by the formation of a Critical Care Services Unit (CCSU) in order to maximize the hospital’s resources and to ensure the delivery of high-quality patient care. The establishment of the Critical Care Services Unit in UMMC is the first of its kind in the country.
The units under the purview of CCSU are as follows:
- General ICU
- Intermediate Dependency Care Unit
- Cardiothoracic ICU
- Coronary Care Unit
- Neurosurgical ICU
- Paediatrics ICU
- Neonatal ICU
- Labour Ward
- Emergency Department
- Burns Unit
Other services provided by CCSU include:
- Critical Care Outreach Team
- Code Blue Response Team
- Critical Care Clinic (soon to be started)
- Training centre for critical care nursing, trainee medical officers, trainee specialists and research fellows.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
We shall deliver wholesome care for each patient by ensuring high quality of skills, knowledge, communication, and teamwork while being attentive to their unique individual needs.
We shall treat all individuals including patients, families, colleagues and friends with utmost dignity and respect.
We shall adhere to international guidelines and policies in critical care management within the framework of the law and ethics.
We shall continue to update and educate ourselves on the ever-evolving management of critical illness in order to provide the best care for patients and to provide the best learning platform for trainees.
