The Bangkok Sanitarium

The spirit of prophecy gives a number of criteria which will characterize the ideal medical institution. All Seventh-day Adventist sanitariums and hospitals are founded with these ideals in mind. The degree to which the objectives of Seventh-day Adventist medi­cal work are realized may vary according to the facilities available, the local conditions, the personalities of the founders of the institution, and other circumstances which are beyond the control of the workers.

Throughout the world field our medical insti­tutions are contributing to the total Christian effort, some more and some less. Probably none are functioning to the full potential. As relates to the medical institution in the mission field, there are certain ideals of usefulness which we hope to see realized. A number of these ideals and criteria are:

1. The location should be in an area where a medi­cal institution would provide the means for presenting the Christian message in a way which would neither be possible nor effective through other agencies.

2. The location should be in an area where there is a definite need for medical facilities.

3. Institutions, preferably, should start as small medical units and expand as needs and means indicate.

4. The institution should become a center for the education of nurses and other personnel whenever possible.

5. The institution should be made a center of active missionary endeavor.

6. The missionary medical institution should estab­lish, along with its high spiritual standard of work, a reputation for a high type of scientific medical serv­ice.

7. The medical personnel of the sanitarium and hospital should establish cordial working relationship with the local medical profession and should partici­pate. where possible, in scientific activities of the local medical group.

8. The institutions will become a center for promo­tion of health education.

9. The charges for medical service, where condi­tions permit, should be such as to permit the institu­tion to function on a self-supporting basis.

A little study will reveal the degree to which these purposes are being attained in any one of our medical institutions. The degree of realiza­tion of these aims will be found neither in pro­portion to the size nor in extent of the physical facilities of the plant. In the Orient we have a number of sanitariums and hospitals doing exceptionally fine work. Some are accomplish­ing much with very limited resources. Others with reasonable facilities have distinguished themselves for the excellence of their medical work. In Korea our hospital at Seoul is being publicized to army and civilian hospitals as a model of excellence. So also we could mention other medical institutions in the Far Eastern Division, the China Division, and the Southern Asia Division, which have measured up to a high standard of achievement.

To analyze the relative effectiveness of one of our better overseas medical institutions, we could profitably study the sanitarium and hos­pital at Bangkok, Siam, and note how it quali­fies relative to each criteria enumerated above.

1. Local conditions in Bangkok are such as to make a medical institution a most effective instrument for presenting the Christian mes­sage. Bangkok, a beautiful city with a popula­tion of half a million, is the capital of Siam. As in Bufma and Ceylon, Buddhism is the recog­nized and dominant religion of the country. Al­though Christianity has been active in Siam for over two hundred years, its impact on Buddhism has not been extensive. There has been a passive resistance to Christian teachings in this country, and evangelistic activity has yielded comparatively meager results. This is true of the work of other Protestant bodies as well as our own. Such a condition constitutes a challenge for the entry of our medical right arm.

2. Siam is a country of sixteen million peo­ple served by one medical college which admits one hundred students to each class. The pro­vision for hospital bed space is approximately one tenth the provision made in the United States. There is a very great dearth of medical facilities even in the larger centers, whereas the situation in the more rural areas is very critical. However much of hospital facilities we might provide, we would still but touch the need. Our hospital now provides the services of four doctors to the public, and approximately one hundred hospital beds. This is expected to be expanded in the near future to five doctors and nearly two hundred hospital beds.

3. The Bangkok Hospital started with finan­cial resources from abroad of less than four thousand dollars. It started in small rented quarters, and has heavily crowded its facilities right from the first. Expansion has been car­ried out only after the crowding in of the first medical unit all but pushed out the walls. The present plan for future development of an en­larged medical institution is made necessary because the existing provision has long since become entirely inadequate. For the sake of effi­ciency and economy it is purposed to place the clinic and the hospital all under one roof, and build it in the new, well-located compound at the edge of the city.

4. The Bangkok Sanitarium and Hospital has since its earlier history conducted a good school of nursing. This school is again in oper­ation with Miss Ruth Munroe serving as direc­tor of nurses. There are thirty-five first-year nursing students. The hospital management plans to initiate training of medical technicians and X-ray technicians. With the development of the new unit, it is hoped that it will be pos­sible to arrange for the training of medical residents in the hospital. We may look forward to seeing Bangkok become an outstanding cen­ter of Seventh-day Adventist medical training, not only for Siam, but also for all Southeast­ern Asia.

5. Speaking of the missionary evangelistic -activities of the hospital, we see a vigorous program being carried forward both for the personnel of the staff and for patients. Because there is but a very small church constituency in the Siam Mission, we do not have a sufficient number of candidates from our church mem­bership to fill the classes of the school of nurs­ing. We find it necessary and desirable to en­roll non-Adventist young women and young -men of well-established integrity and good character. These young people invariably enter wholeheartedly into the study of their Bible subjects, and are responsive and attentive in the religious services. Of the present student body there are eight Buddhist students in the baptismal class, two of whom have just been baptized. Personal and public spiritual instruc­tion for the patients is carried forward on a good basis,

6. Dr. Ralph F. Waddell and his associates have maintained an excellent name for good medical practice. Our medical men in this in­stitution are making wide use of their labora­tory and X-ray facilities. In the contemplated new unit the laboratory and X-ray work will ^-be the best to be found in Siam outside the government-controlled school of medicine.

7. The hospital has functioned on a very cor­dial working relationship with the local medi­cal profession. Our doctors are planning to es­tablish closer working relationships with the men in the government-controlled medical college. It is only in this medical college that our young men and women have an opportunity of studying medicine. This cordial friendship with the local medical fraternity and the faculty of the medical college will be of great value as we proceed with the development of medical education for Seventh-day Adventist young people.

8. Due to the pressure of work in the hos­pital and clinic, and the limited number of personnel, the health promotion and education activities have been confined more largely to that done within the institution. This is a field which can advantageously be developed through such activities as health lectures, -tem­perance education, prenatal and baby welfare clinics, dietetic education, and home visitation by the nursing staff.

9. The finances of this institution are on a good basis. Not only has the institution been fully self-supporting practically from the first, but the income has been such as to make pos­sible the improvement and expansion of the physical plant, and the acquisition of new equipment. This excellent financial showing has been made while concurrently doing a considerable amount of outright charity work for patients.