During the 9 July Bersih 2.0 rally in Kuala Lumpur, protestors reportedly ran into the compound of Tung Shin Hospital to seek refuge from the tear gas that was fired near Jalan Pudu. Tung Shin Hospital, formerly called Pooi Shin Thong, was founded in 1881 by Kapitan Cina Yap Kwan Seng. The hospital used to provide Chinese traditional medical care for patients but nowadays, do provide Western medical services as well. The hospital aims to render health services to the general public irrespective of race, creed or religion and even provide free medical treatments to poor patients, making funeral arrangements for those patients who have no next of kin even. Chinese have set up other hospitals in Malaysia as well. Most notable perhaps is Penang's Lam Wah Ee Hospital, the brainchild of some Chinese community leaders. Lesser known would be Taiping's Chinese Pauper hospital. Used to be called Yong Wah Hospital, the hospital was established in 1880 and was in fact, the first to be established in the Federated Malay States. The hospital was to treat the Chinese coolies and tin-miners then and charged a minimum fee of 50 cents per annum. The hospital faced financial difficulties and by the end of the year 1880, the State Government took over the hospital and renamed it Taiping General Hospital (inset).
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