Lauleng leprosy colony / leprosy hospital (2003)
General information
Lauleng leprosy hospital was erected in 1940 during the Dutch occupation in Indonesia. It is situated about 6 km from Parepare, the capital of the Parepare district, and about 156 km from Makassar.
1940 –1942: Dr. Venstra, a Dutch doctor, was the first director of the Lauleng hospital. An Indonesian nurse from Sulawesi assisted him.
1957 – 1958: Dr. A. Spentjes, an Indonesian doctor, headed the Parepare General Hospital, the Fatimah Private Hospital and the Lauleng hospital.
1958 – 1965: Dr. J.de Baets, a Belgium doctor, replaced Dr. A. Spentjes.
1967 – 1981: Dr. J.Barthen, a mission doctor, headed the Lauleng hospital.
In 1979, H.M. Joesoef Madjid, the Mayor of Parepare, and his wife Ida Joesoef successfully improved the welfare of the leprosy patients in the Lauleng hospital.
In 1981 Mrs. Joesoef was honored as ‘Leprosy mommy’.
1979 – 1980: Dr Berbudi, director of the Sitanala Leprosy Hospital, worked as a flying leprosy surgeon for the Lauleng hospital.
The hospital including the surrounding settlement is subordinated to the government of the Parepare district / Health Department. A total of 436 people are living in the complex, 102 are people affected by leprosy, 12 inhabitants are staying in the wards.
12 new patients who are still on MDT, and 12 old and dependent people affected by leprosy are staying in the wards. The conditions of the wards are similar to a ‘Panti Jompo’ (old peoples home). The wards with their 24-beds capacity do not look like normal wards, but more like houses.
The people affected by leprosy staying in the settlement originate from Pinrang, Sidrap, Barru and Enrekang districts. The leprosy hospital collaborates with these districts under the following conditions: (1) The districts can send people affected by leprosy to the leprosy village, but they must support in their living costs. (2) The districts must accept the people affected by leprosy that are sent back by the hospital. (3) The districts can fill up the vacant places of people who went back home or people who have passed away with other people affected by leprosy from the same district.Land and houses still belong to the government and the Fatima Catholic Church.
Medical services
The Out-Patient Department (OPD) is run by 6 paramedics under the supervision of Dr Gemma, who also works in the hospital.
The In-Patient Department (IPD) with 24 beds is fully occupied. The wards (houses) are used for old, dependant people affected by leprosy as an old peoples home, as well as for leprosy patients who need hospitalization.
The hospital cannot produce prostheses, but they can produce footwear for leprosy patients. A member of the staff has been trained in shoemaking at the Daya leprosy hospital.
