Bandar Lampung Adventist Hospital

Bandar Lampung Adventist Hospital is located in the city of Bandar Lampung, 145 miles west of Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. Situated on the southern tip of Sumatera Island, it is one of the well-known hospitals in the city as well across Lampung Province.

Developments Leading to the Hospital’s Establishment

The hospital began with a small clinic called Tanjung Karang Adventist Medical Clinic, operated from 1966 to 1994, established by congregations within the area.

This health ministry grew up quickly under the leadership of Ferdinand Wuysang, a nurse who was recruited to become the head of the clinic. Many patients became loyal customers because of the compassionate service demonstrated by the nurse who was popular as “the whistling doctor.’” The Adventist health ministry developed a strong reputation in the region.

In 1983, new leaders came up with the idea of developing this well-known clinic into a mother and child hospital. West Indonesia Union Mission leaders responded positively. The process of developing buildings, providing various medical facilities, and obtaining permits took eight years.

Founding

After 28 years of operation as health clinic, on December 1, 1994, Tanjung Karang Adventist Medical Clinic was transformed into Bandar Lampung Adventist Hospital. Pastor Alex Hendriks, president of the West Indonesia Union, officially inaugurated the hospital. The board appointed Dr. Ronald Imran Lisal as president of the hospital. Bandar Lampung Adventist Hospital then became the third hospital belonging to the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Indonesia.

History

On December 5, 1964, a group of Singosari Seventh-day Adventist Church members, led by Pastor Jahidin H. Sihotang, formed a committee to establish a health clinic within the area. They were Ong Guam Chuan (chairperson), T.R. Pandjaitan (deputy), Lie Tien Tjung a.k.a. K. Litelnoni (treasurer), W. P. Tambunan (secretary), Yo Kim Nio, Ruth Maria Rhemrev and E. Gerungan (lay members), and Pastor Jahidin H. Sihotang (advisor). Their initiative gained support from South Sumatera Mission President Simon Tamba. ^1,2 Several members from the Kedaton I congregation joined the group, and hand in hand they established the clinic through fundraising, collecting alms, selling groceries, donating the site, supplying materials, obtaining permits, and constructing the building.³

Within a year, all preparations were completed, and this clinic officially opened December 26, 1966, when the governor’s wife, Madame Dewi Kartini Pagaralam, performed the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and Pastor Wendell Lyle Wilcox, the president of West Indonesia Union Mission, along with Pastor N.G. Hutauruk, president of South Sumatera Mission, conducted the inauguration.⁴

Ferdinand Jootje Wuysang served as the head of the operation, Maruap Sitompul as treasurer, and Dr. Ong Tjin Tek as the supervising physician. While the operation was supported by Bandung Adventist Hospital, all medicines were brought from Bandung to Bandar Lampung by Pastor Jhonson Ferdinand Silalahi.⁵

The clinic added dental treatment when the government assigned Bujurngena Ginting to become a dentist at the clinic on April 26, 1974.⁶ In 1984 Ginting was appointed to be the administrator, along with Elon Manawan as the head of the operation and A.H. Sagala as treasurer.

During their leadership, the idea sparked to upgrade the clinic to become a mother and child hospital. They saw that the clinic was widely known by the public due to its strategic location, so it would maintain and improve its services to the community as a hospital, and there were also plans for other hospitals to be established in the city. The idea of converting the clinic to a hospital was fully supported by the Western Indonesian Union Mission officers, as well as leaders of Bandung Adventist Hospital. Pastor Bahasa Soemarna, the union president, set up a foundation for the hospital.

Although the permit for the hospital had not been obtained, a two-story building was built from 1986 to 1988, as well a laboratory in 1991. Dr. Ronald Imran Lisal, formerly vice president of Bandung Adventist Hospital, came to direct the clinic as well as lead the preparation of the hospital. After earnest and continuous prayers from church members, and several surveys and recommendations from the City Hall and Indonesian Hospital Association, in November 1993 the head of the Lampung Province Health Office, Dr. Mas Irwan Singagerda, issued a permit for Bandar Lampung Adventist Hospital to operate.⁷

On December 1, 1994, Bandar Lampung Adventist Hospital officially opened. It was inaugurated by Pastor Alex Hendriks, president of the West Indonesia Union as well as Chairperson of the Bandar Lampung Adventist Hospital Foundation. Dr. Ronald Imran Lisal was appointed president, assisted by Elon Manawan as head of general affairs and personnel, Rudolf Doloksaribu as head of finance, and Romely Pakpahan as head of the nursing division.

Dr. Lisal oversaw many changes to the hospital, expanding the location, developing buildings and providing equipment, and hiring staff. Capacity increased from 40 beds in 1994 to 138 beds in 2002. Expansion included an ICU with capacity of 5 beds, a physiotherapy room, an x-ray and ultrasound room, and a treadmill room. An outpatient department with 12 general and specialist clinics launched in 2005.

In 2008 the form of the Bandar Lampung Adventist Hospital Foundation was adjusted to meet national regulations, where roles and authorities must be shared through a governing board, executive board, and supervisory board, and the executive plays a direct role in guiding and supervising the board of directors. During this time, Elon Manawan had been appointed as chairperson of the executive board.⁸

From 2008 to 2016 the board developed and oversaw the hospital’s expansion. A new six-story building called Elim was built, consisting of 42 VIP rooms, an outpatient department, and 24 beds for a new hemodialysis ward. By the end of 2017 the hospital had grown to 179 beds.

In 2014 Dr. Reuben V. T. Supit became the president, and in 2018, Dr. Charles Z. Suoth, MARS succeeded him. The hospital continues to grow and move forward.

In 2008, the local health office recommended the hospital as a middle health facility, categorized as a class C hospital.⁹

The hospital was accredited by the Adventist Health System Asia (AHSA) in 2000. In 2010, Bandar Lampung Adventist Hospital took the national accreditation held by the Ministry of Health, obtaining a status of Complete Basic Level. In 2017, the hospital took the 2012 version of the national accreditation done by Hospital Accreditation Commission and was declared to have achieved the Plenary status, entitled as a five-star hospital. Then it was emphasized with the same achievement after completing the 2018 SNARS accreditation.

Historical Role

Bandar Lampung Adventist Hospital has been a positive impact on both community and the church in the city of Bandar Lampung and throughout the province of Lampung. It has won the trust of the community. Visitation during the clinic period peaked in the 1970s with 300 visits daily. The wife of the local governor recommended the clinic as a great place to have excellent treatment. Adventism had become widely known by the people of Lampung, even though the church community was small and new within the area.¹⁰ Today, the data shows that patient visitation increases are increasing year by year. In 2019, outpatient visits reached 179,000 patients, and hospitalized 14,500 patients.

The success of the medical clinic had inspired leaders in the South Sumatera Mission to expand the health ministry by establishing additional clinics, including in Jambi (1967), Curup, Bengkulu (1968), Pangkal Pinang (1968), Lubuk Linggau (1975), and Prabumulih (1979).^{11 12}

The leadership principle that healthcare is a means of approaching society has had another impact on the work of the church. Most of the 42 Adventist churches in Lampung began with the work of this institution.^{13 14} The hospital has provided support for the work of evangelism in the South Sumatera Mission, as well as in Indonesia.

Bandar Lampung Hospital employs nearly 600 workers, about 90 percent of whom are Seventh-day Adventist. The institution has helped many members to develop their education, skill, and economy. Employee tithe contributes about 22 percent of South Sumatera Mission total tithe received, and the figure tends to increase every year.¹⁵ This institution has also provided support for Adventist education within the area, through Pahoman Adventist School, established in the 1970s.¹⁶ The hospital remains involved in community services by conducting charity clinics and other corporate social responsibility actions.

Outlook

Bandar Lampung Adventist Hospital has a vision “to become a hospital that fulfills God's plan and the first choice in the city of Bandar Lampung.” Fulfilling God’s plan means a hospital where the workers serve as medical and evangelistic missionaries, so that the best services, as exemplified by Jesus Christ, can attract people who need healing, making Bandar Lampung Adventist Hospital their first choice for healthcare.

Leaders

Heads of the Clinic (1966-1994): Ferdinand Jootje Wuysang (1966-1978); Darmatur H. Manurung (1979-1980); Manaor Sianipar (1981-1983); Bujurngena Ginting (1984-1992); Ronald Imran Lisal (1992-1994).

Presidents of the Hospital (1994-Present): Ronald Imran Lisal (1994-2013); Reuben V.T. Supit (2014-2018); Charles Z. Suoth (2018- ).

Chairs of the Board of the Hospital (1989-Present): Bahasa Soemarna (1989); Alex Hendriks (1989-2000); Houtman Elysha Sinaga (2001-2005); Johnny Lubis (2005-2018); Elon Manawan (2008-2021); Roy D. Sarumpaet (2022- ).

Sources

Borahima, Anwar. Kedudukan Yayasan di Indonesia: Eksistensi, Tujuan, dan Tanggung Jawab Yayasan. Jakarta: Kencana, 2010.

Decree of the Head of Lampung Province Health Office No. 445/0726/SDPK/XI/1993, November 23, 1993, subject Permit to Establish Bandar Lampung Adventist Hospital.

Keputusan Menteri Kesehatan Republik Indonesia No. 937/Menkes/SK/X/2009 tentang Penetapan Kelas Rumah Sakit Umum Advent Bandar Lampung, October 19, 2009.

Lisal, Ronald, Imran. Quality: Bandar Lampung Adventist Hospital Memorial Book. Bandar Lampung: Rumah Sakit Advent Bandar Lampung, 2005.

List of Seventh-day Adventist Churches within Lampung Province, presented by Pastor Sutrisno Tjakrapawira, Ph.D., West Indonesia Union Mission Sabbath School and Personal Ministry Director, Evangelistic Meeting Committee, February 24, 2018.

Litelnoni, Ferdinand Karel; Bujurngena Ginting, Elon Manawan and Bujungena Ginting, March 22, 2018.

Manurung, C.G. “West Indonesia: Clinic Opens Way for Elementry School.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, April 1971.

Sihotang, Jaboner. Employee Service Record, Bandar Lampung, 1972.

Tambunan, Emilkam. ed. Gereja Masehi Advent Hari Ketujuh: Sejarah perintisan dan perkembangannya. Jakarta: Pusat Gereja Masehi Advent Hari Ketujuh di Indonesia, 1999.

Notes

1. Emilkam H. Tambunan, ed., Gereja Masehi Advent Hari Ketujuh: Sejarah perintisan dan perkembangannya (Jakarta: Pusat Gereja Masehi Advent Hari Ketujuh di Indonesia, 1999), 521.↩

2. Ronald Imran Lisal, Quality: Bandar Lampung Adventist Hospital Memorial Book (Bandar Lampung: Rumah Sakit Advent Bandar Lampung), 2005.↩

3. Tambunan, 521.↩

4. Ferdinand Karel Litelnoni, Bujurngena Ginting, Elon Manawan and Bujungena Ginting, during the reading of this article in the Office of the Foundation on March 22, 2018.↩

5. Lisal, Quality: Bandar Lampung Adventist Hospital Memorial Book.↩

6. Ibid.↩

7. Decree of the Head of Lampung Province Health Office No. 445/0726/SDPK/XI/1993, dated November 23, 1993, subject Permit to Establish Bandar Lampung Adventist Hospital.↩

8. Anwar Borahima, Kedudukan Yayasan di Indonesia: Eksistensi, Tujuan, dan Tanggung Jawab Yayasan (Jakarta: Kencana, 2010), 209.↩

9. Keputusan Menteri Kesehatan Republik Indonesia No. 937/Menkes/SK/X/2009 tentang Penetapan Kelas Rumah Sakit Umum Advent Bandar Lampung, 19 Oktober 2009.↩

10. Tambunan, 522.↩

11. Jaboner Sihotang, Employee Service Record, Bandar Lampung, 1972.↩

12. Tambunan, 525.↩

13. Ibid., 524-5.↩

14. List of Seventh-day Adventist Churches within Lampung Province presented by Pastor Sutrisno Tjakrapawira, Ph.D., West Indonesia Union Mission Sabbath School and Personal Ministry Director, during the Evangelistic Meeting Committee, February 24, 2018.↩

15. Berman Sitanggang, South Sumatera Mission secretary on tithe contribution of South Sumatera Mission during 2013-2017, as said to Berlin Sembiring via whatsapp on March 29, 2017.↩

16. C.G. Manurung, “West Indonesia: Clinic Opens Way for Elementary School,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, April 1971, 16.↩