The mission hospital Labuang Baji was founded in 1938 by the Gereformeerde Makassar Zending. It was destinated for the population of the kampungs east and south of the city of Makassar and patients were charged at tariffs that they could afford. Surabaya sponsored a missionary doctor, the Chinese Ong Yan Hong, who stayed at the hospital until mid 1942. Subsidy was received from the municipality of Makassar (f 1,500) and medicine from the DVG            (f 350). After the war the missionary doctors F. Veldstra and G.J.Hoekstra (1946-1951) took care of the restoration of the war damage to the hospital and expanded its capacity. In 1951  the hospital had 180 beds and was one of the largest hospitals of the city of Makassar. The renovation and expansion was partly financed by the Deelstaat Oost Indonesia, partly by the GKN (Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland). Hospital equipment was financed by Simavi. The hospital was managed and run by the government, but the GKN had an importsnt say in the education and training of nursing personnel. The surgeon W.de Jong was also engaged by the hospital from 1955-1972.Literature:  G.J. Hoekstra, “Ziekenhuis ‘Laboean Badji’ te Makassar” , SUM (September 1947), 4-5. F. Veldstra, The Missionary Hospital “Labuang Badji” at Macassar (Indonesia): Between 1949 and 1956 the number of admittances rose to 6,000 per year. The personnel in 1954: 2 medical doctors , 2 European nurses, 5 midwives, 21 mantri-nurses; 6 administration, 7 washroom, 9 kitchen workers and 19 other workers.

Makassar was a department and subdepartment of the Government Celebes en Onderhoorigheden (Sulawesi and Dependencies) with a capital with the same name. The department Makassar is ruled by an assistant-Resident and has almost 670,000 inhabitants,ofwhom 3,700 Europeans and 17,000 Chinese. The capital itself has 87,000 inhabitants of whom 3,600 Europeans and 16,000 Chinese. Makassar is the old realm of Goa. The people are called Makassaren, whose language is related to the Buginese language. It is an important commercial centre. It used to be called the Key of the Moluccas (Gonggryp 1934, 793-794).