The Mission hospital Elim at Rantepao (KITLV 121134)

The mission hospital Elim was a general hospital that was established in 1925 by the Gereformeerde Zendingsbond(GZB) in Rantepao in the Toradja country of Southern Sulawesi. The Elim hospital of the Toradja church is situated in the northern part of Toraja country, where about 250,000 inhabitants live.  It is the only hospital in that region. It was founded by the GZB, but because of the lack of medica supervision, the hospital was taken over by the Government of Celebes. In 1930, when the mission succeeded in appointing the medical doctor Goslinga, the hospital went back into missionary management.

The community hospital Elim nowadays is established Jalan A. Jani no. 68 at Rantepao and has a capacity of 88 beds. (Hospitalscout.com).

Rantepao is a subdepartment of the department Loewoe, Government Celebes en Onderhoorigheden. The other subdepartment is called Makale. Together these subdepartments have 185,000 inhabitants, of whom 60 Europeans and 84 Chinese. The main town Rantepao has good connections with Palopo (capital of the department Loewoe) and Makassar, capital of Celebes. The reegion is mountainous and densely populated (Gonggryp 1934, 1221).