The Vereeniging „SIMAVI” — Steun In Medische Aangelegenheden Voor Inheemschen (Support in Medical Matters for Natives) — was a Netherlands charitable association, royally approved on 28 October 1926, which published in 1934 the pamphlet Een strijd in Atjeh (1934) recording the eye-surgery campaigns of Dr. J. Tijssen in the kampongs of Atjeh.
Object
The statement of purpose printed on the second page of the pamphlet reads: “HET DOEL VAN „SIMAVI” is geneeskundige hulpverschaffing aan en geestelijke opheffing van de Inheemsche bevolking in Nederlandsch Oost- en West-Indië, in den zin, waarin deze tot nu toe door de Prot. Medische Zending in practijk zijn gebracht” — the provision of medical help to, and the spiritual elevation of, the indigenous population in the Netherlands East and West Indies, in the sense in which these have hitherto been put into practice by the Protestant Medical Mission.
The association proposed to reach this object, among other means, by awakening interest in the care of the sick among students and nurses at the Dutch universities and great hospitals; by mediating in the search for and sending out of physicians and nurses for such work; by giving them help and guidance in their special tropical preparation; and by giving financial help in the running of existing hospitals for the indigenous population and in the founding of new ones.
Governing board
The hoofdbestuur named in the pamphlet consisted of Dr. G. Roljer of Amsterdam as chairman; Prof. Dr. N. H. Swellengrebel of Aerdenhout as vice-chairman; Dr. Ch. W. F. Winckel of Amsterdam as secretary and acting treasurer, at Daniël Willinckplein 47; and as members Prof. Dr. C. U. Ariëns Kappers of Amsterdam, Dr. M. Colenbrander of Heemstede, Dr. J. F. H. de Graaf of Overveen, W. Jansse of Rotterdam, Prof. Dr. L. Knappert of Leiden, Dr. Alb. C. Kruyt of [‘s-Gravenhage], Dr. A. de Mol van Otterloo of Hilversum, F. van Peski of ‘s-Gravenhage, Mevr. J. A. C. de Roon Swaan-Baronesse van der Feltz of Velp, Prof. Dr. W. A. P. Schuffner of Hilversum, and Dr. J. van der Spek of Poortugaal.
The administratrix was Mej. M. D. van Hoogstraten at Parklaan 6, Zeist; the leader of propaganda A. J. Berman at Fred. Hendriklaan 35, Haarlem; the Linnenkast-Centrale was in the charge of Mevr. D. M. Lainenburg-Demmenie at Wijngaardenlaan 24, Voorschoten. The bankers were the Nederlandsche Handel-Maatschappij at Amsterdam and Batavia-Centrum, and the postal giro account was no. 128487, Vereeniging Simavi, Zeist. The association was associated with the Nederlandsche Maatschappij ter Bevordering der Geneeskunst.
Expenditure in 1934
The pamphlet records that in that year SIMAVI expended f 26,500 on medical assistance to the indigenous population of the Netherlands East and West Indies, of which f 4,400 was for medicines and dressings alone, and appeals for contributions to the postal account.
Relation to Tijssen’s work
Wanting’s foreword states expressly that the object of publishing the letters of C. Graadt van Roggen was not to collect money for Tijssen’s work but “door deze mededeelingen van dr. Tijssen de plicht onzer Menschelijkheid naar voren te brengen, tot welks betrachting Simavi roept,” — to bring forward, through these communications of Dr. Tijssen, the duty of our Humanity, to the observance of which Simavi calls, and at the same time to fulfil an act of piety towards the young writer who had died.
Tijssen himself was quoted in Medische Nood, 1934, no. 1: “Ik ken de zendingsziekenhuizen. Ik wenschte, dat er in Ned. Indië in plaats van 33 zendingsartsen 330 waren! Zijn er 20 zendingshospitalen, ik wenschte, dat „Simavi” het geld bij elkaar kreeg om het tot 200 te brengen! Maar ook dan zouden er menschen noodig zijn, die naast het mooie werk in de hospitalen het vuile werk in de kampong willen doen.” — I know the mission hospitals. I could wish that in the Netherlands Indies, instead of 33 mission physicians, there were 330! Are there 20 mission hospitals — I could wish that „Simavi” got the money together to bring it to 200!
See Also
- Een strijd in Atjeh (1934)
- J. Tijssen
- C. Graadt van Roggen
- H. Wanting
- Medische Nood
- Cataract campaign on the North Coast of Atjeh (1932)
- 28 October
- 1926
- 1934
Source
Een strijd in Atjeh (Een oogarts op het oorlogspad), door Mr. C. Graadt van Roggen, met een voorrede van den heer H. Wanting, redacteur Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant (Rotterdam: N.V. Drukkerij Korteweg, uitgave van de Vereeniging „SIMAVI”, 1934), pp. 1–2, 16.
Acknowledgement of sources. The material in this article derives from Een strijd in Atjeh (Een oogarts op het oorlogspad) by Mr. C. Graadt van Roggen (Rotterdam: N.V. Drukkerij Korteweg for the Vereeniging „SIMAVI”, 1934). Dutch passages are quoted in the original with an English rendering.