Military hospital Bentengweg Medan, 1915 (KITLV 3620)

The Garrison hospital 2nd class at Medan (East Sumatra) is mentioned in the Annex D of the Koloniaal Verslag 1890,which reports a total  of 3,358 inpatients by the end of that year, whereas 52,631 patients have been admitted for the whole of the Netherlands Indies. The report concerns 28 military hospitals, 54 ziekenzalen (infirmaries) and 6 specialized facilities. The average occupation rate of the Medan hospital is then 426 inpatients, whereas 498 have been admitted that year. The situation by the end of the year 1890 is a presence of 6 European patients and 18 indigenous patients.

In 1900 the situation of military health facilities was: 30 hospitals, 56 infirmaries and 5 specialized facilities, such as reconvalescent centers and leprosy asylums. The total number of admittances was in 1899: 57,071 and the number of present inpatients by the end of 1899: 3,731. These figures were for the Medan hospital: 582 admittances and a presence on 31 December 1898 of 19 patients (See Koloniaal Verslag 1899, Addendum A).

KITLV Image collection 1915; signatuur  3620. Military hospital Bentengweg at Medan.

Medan was in the 1930s  the capital of the Government Eastcoast of Sumatra and of the department Deli and Serdang and the Sultanate Deli. The town had 75,000 inhabitants of whom 4,000 Europeans and 30,000 Chinese. It has a municipality council headed by a mayor. The town is situatedon the Deli railroad and has a port (Belawan Deli) that is connected by railroad with Medan.