On September 15, 1928, the Catholic Order Carolus ...

On September 15, 1928, the Catholic Order Carolus Borromeus was assisted by Ir. Schmutzer van Rijckevorsel began construction of the Yogyakarta branch Carolus Borromeus Hospital building. The hospital building is designed similar to the main monastery of the order St. Carolus Borromeus in Maastricht, Netherlands. The first stone hospital was signed by Ir. [Schmutzer van Rijckevorsel. In January 1929, five Dutch Catholic sisters from the order Carolus Borromeus came to Yogyakarta on a mission to serve the sick. The five sisters are: Sr. Gaudentia Brand, Sr. Judith de Laat, Sr. Ignatia Lemmens, Sr. Simonia, and Sr. Ludolpha de Groot.

The new hospital building was completely finished on August 25, 1929. This was marked by the blessing of the building by the Catholic bishop Mgr. Anton Pieter Franz van Velsen, S.J. On September 14, 1929, the hospital was officially opened by Sultan Hamengkubuwono VIII as the Onder de Bogen Hospital ("under the arch / church"). Several years later, Sultan Hamengkubuwono VIII presented an ambulance to the hospital.

Most of the patients treated were Dutch people and Kraton officials / family. To help the poor, an outpatient clinic was established by the order Brothers of Christian Instruction (FIC). In 1942, Japan controlled Indonesia and many Dutch nuns and doctors working in this hospital were arrested and held captive in concentration camps. The Japanese Army health service took over the hospital and forced the manager to change the name of the hospital from Dutch to Indonesian. By the Bishop of Semarang Mgr. Soegijapranata, S.J., the name of the hospital was changed to Panti Rapih Hospital ("Medicine"). Sister Sponsaria was chosen as chairman of the hospital.

In 1945, after Japan surrendered to the Allied Forces in the Pacific War, the order of Sister Carolus Borromeus returned to managing the Panti Rapih Hospital. During the struggle for independence of the Republic of Indonesia, Panti Rapih Hospital treated many fighters who were wounded in battle. One of the patients treated in 1948 was General Sudirman. (wikipedia)