On March 20, a newly established Adventist hospital in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, opened its doors to patients. The administration of the Southern Asia-Pacific Division (SSD), headed by its president, Roger Caderma, and executive secretary Wendell Mandolang, attended the inaugural event. Leaders of the West Indonesia Union Mission (WIUM) and the newly constituted board of directors of the hospital also attended.

The 51-bed, state-of-the-art hospital will offer comprehensive medical services to the inhabitants of Palangka Raya and nearby communities. General medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and critical care are among the services the new hospital will provide.

At the inauguration event, Caderma thanked all those who helped build and establish the hospital. He also stressed the Adventist Church’s commitment to providing high-quality health care to underserved regions.

“The establishment of this hospital exemplifies our church’s purpose of fostering [people’s] overall well-being,” Caderma said. “We think that good health is crucial to an individual’s entire quality of life, and we are dedicated to delivering outstanding medical treatment to those in need.”

Caderma added that it takes a great deal of effort and sacrifice to establish a hospital of this caliber. “I am grateful for the leadership that made it possible,” he said during his congratulatory words to hospital leaders and staff. “Your vision and hard work have resulted in the establishment of a world-class health care facility that will serve as a beacon of hope and healing for generations to come.”

Mandolang expressed his thoughts about the mission entrusted to the church, which includes enhancing God’s influence on the community through the ministry of healing, he said. “Our aim as a church is to spread the message of hope and healing through the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said. “One of the ways we achieve this is through offering healing through Jesus’ ministry. The construction of this hospital is a physical manifestation of that aim.”

The WIUM leadership also voiced their support for the hospital and its goals. WIUM president Sugih Sitorus emphasized that the hospital’s development is an important milestone for the Adventist Church in the area.

“We are honored to be a part of this historic occasion, and we are dedicated to ensuring that this hospital continues to serve the people of Palangka Raya and its surrounding areas for many years to come,” he said.

“The Adventist hospital in Palangka Raya will offer critical health-care services to our community while maintaining a dedication to quality and compassion. It will be a place where individuals and families can receive medical care and emotional and spiritual support, which is critical to healing,” Sitorus said.

The hospital’s board of directors also expressed their delight about the hospital’s opening and the potential influence it may have on the health and well-being of the community.

“We are overjoyed to finally open the doors of the Adventist hospital in Palangka Raya,” Roy Sarumpaet, the hospital’s chair of the Board of Management, said. “Our medical staff is prepared to give the greatest quality of care to our patients and their families. We are excited to serve our community and make a difference in their lives.”

SSD director of Adventist Health Care Services Jo Ann Amparo expressed her joy at witnessing a new hospital being added to the roster of Adventist hospitals within the region. “We give thanks to God for this new hospital. It will be a beacon of health, life, and hope as an Adventist health facility, a location where Christ’s healing ministry is shown,” Amparo said. “It is encouraging to see a new hospital in Indonesia, particularly in the SSD, after 15 years. It is Indonesia’s fifth hospital and the SSD’s twentieth,” Amparo said.

The original version of this story was posted on the Southern Asia-Pacific Division news site.