Our Background

Neurological and Neurosurgical services were first started in the General Hospital Kuala Lumpur (GHKL) in 1963 by Dr. Roy Selby, an American neurosurgeon, under the CAREMEDICO programme.    Through his efforts and with the encouragement of the then Head of Surgery Department GHKL, Dato’ Dr Syed Al-Hady, a Neurosurgical unit was formed in the hospital in 1965.    Dr Selby also arranged for doctors and technicians to be sent for training in America and Canada.

Through Dr. Selby’s efforts, the Neurosurgical Foundation of Malaysia (now known as “The Neuroscience Foundation of Malaysia - NSFM” following an official name change on 13 March 2006) was established on 16 November 1967 as a tax-exempt and charitable body. Dr. Selby was the first Honorary Secretary of the foundation.  Tan Sri Dr. Mohd. Din bin Ahmad, who was the then Director of Medical Services, Ministry of Health Malaysia, was elected as the first Chairman of NSFM upon its formation.   He was succeeded by the late Tun Abdullah bin Ayub, and later by Gen (Rtd) Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohd Ghazali bin Dato’ Mohd Seth, the present Chairman.

Malaysia’s first neurosurgeon, the late Dato’ Dr. Nadason Arumugasamy, returned to Malaysia from training in America in 1969.    Following his return, Dr. Roy Selby returned to America and Dato’ Dr. Arumugasamy continued the former’s work both as Head of Department of Neurosurgery as well as director and Honorary Secretary of NSFM

TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES
( INSTITUT KAJISARAF TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN - IKTAR )

The first project undertaken by NSFM was to set up the Tunku Abdul Rahman Institute of Neurological Sciences at the General Hospital Kuala Lumpur. In his capacity as the first Honorary Secretary of NSFM, Dr. Roy Selby successfully collected funds and gathered support, both locally and overseas, for this purpose. The Government of Malaysia agreed to put up the building, whilst NSFM equipped this Institute initially to the value of RM1.8 million to the satisfaction of the Ministry of Health. The Institute, which officially opened on 10th March 1975, embodies the three allied and interdependant disciplines of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, as well as supportive services, such as neuroradiology, neuropathology, operating theaters, intensive care unit (ICU), and neurodiagnostic laboratories. The medical doctors who specialise in these disciplines are called Neurologists, Neurosurgeons and Psychiatrists (grouped as ‘Neuro specialists’). The Institute has been functioning meaningfully to this date.