Darmo Hospital is located at Jalan Darmo, Surabaya. The exterior is very interesting, it is in the shape of triangle, as the shape of the roof, very colonial. On the gavel there is logo of the hospital says Salus Aegroti Suprema Lex Est means Health for Sick Person is the highest law. The corridor has three curve and the main access has smaller curve with pair of symmetrical double window.
After Indonesian independence there was a rejection of colonial style architecture that appreared jengki architecture, with typical of saddle-like roof, awry gavel, porch, asymmetric window sills and more soft interior.
In front of the hospital there is an inscription : This building was used by Japanese as children and women internees camp . Allies came, and the camp was taken over by Lieutenant Colonel Rendall. Celebes youngsters passed on 27 October 1945 and shot by them, that initiated 3 days battle from 28 to 30 October.
On the 3 days battle almost 6000 Mallaby’s troop were killed if Soekarno -Hatta did not came to peace them. Many Indonesian were killed as well. Mallaby died on 30 October, that British would like to revenge on 10 November 1945 and ended 3 weeks later.
On the wall of Darmo hospital, there is a beautiful carving says : Eerste steen gelegd 15 Januari 1921 Door Mejuffr G. Hempenius Directrice SZV means the official constuction was on 15 January by G. Mejuffr Hempenius Direktris SZV. The architect of this hospital was Citroen.
SZV stands for Surabajasche Zieken Verpleging, a social institution for public health erected in 9 June 1897 by a Dutch doctor, HJ Offerhaus. The hospital was used by Japanese for internee of Japanese and later used as defense of the Allies. On 27 October 1945, one of battle in Surabaya took place here.
Leo Kristi song was inspired by the writing behind the box inside the hospital, that was when she saw a women cried for his child could not be saved.
Before erecting the hospital, SZV had erected a clinic in Ngemplak with 78 beds, led by Zr Bonnekamp. In Japan occupation, Dutch sisters opened a clinic in Jalan Jawa, but later was closed. After Japanese left, the hospital was rebuilt by the donation of “Stichting Medisch Contact Oost Java” an institution supported by 55 big companies in Indonesia.