The Hospital

This hospital front entrance

NPS / Hannah Schwalbe

Quick Facts

Amenities

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Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto

The current hospital building was completed in 1980 and replaced an older building with ruins still visible on the other side of the street. The old hospital was built in 1932. It was used as a medical facility until 1980, when the current hospital building was erected. The old hospital building was being used for shoemaking, arts and crafts, and storage when it burned in 1990. A few staircases and other cement structures still remain.

Doctors treated the patients of Kalaupapa even before a cure for Hansen's disease, more commonly known as leprosy, had been discovered. Approximately 95% of people have a natural resistance to the disease, making it one of the least contagious diseases to exist. The disease is named for its discoverer, Dr. Gerhard Hansen. Today, the term 'leprosy' is considered offensive to many due largely to the disease's biblical and social connotations. Read more about Hansen's disease.

This hospital is still active, but only for patients in the settlement. Medical services are not available for visitors. Even patients receive most of their medical care in a hospital in Oahu.