New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-25
DELAYS MAY BE FATAL.

If a man is injured in the street viii he get an
ambulance, and how soon if one does respond
TO the call? This question was raised in an adj
dress made at meeting of the National Con-
ference of Charities and Correction BY Nathan
Blur. who has been invited TO be member Of
the Mayors commission. In New-York, he de-
clarsd. everything had been left to chance and
naphazard in this respect One may get no am
oulance. or two. or three said he at that time:
have kept an Observant eye on articles in
the daily press showing defects in the ambu-
lance service, but the complaints Of delay and
lnsufncIency are so numerous thar 10 record
dividual
on one occasion reached 57th-st. and 9Th
aVe. Just as cab ran over man who was
crossing the avenue The injured man was
taken lnt9 drug store at the corner. After
several minutes delay i policeman was found
who telephOned 70 Roosevelt Hospital about
half q mile distant for an ambulance. One ar
rived in three-quarters Of an hour"
On another occasion man had been injured
al hotel \ policeman called an Ambulance
from the Flower Hospital Other persons had
called for ambulances from Bellevue and the
scene.
Any one may call up hospital, 5u, it is not
so certain that the hospital will respond IL the
person at the telephone at the hospital does not
think II is case needing attention the arnbu-
lance does net go but awaits the call of patrol
man, who may have been absent from his post
or so far away on his b-at that he could not be
found when the accident occurred. The reason
Tor JhiS attitude ON the part or the hospital ia
explained by a call which Bellevue Hospital
ceived recently. When the ambulance arrived
on the scene of the supposed accident the sur
geOn found that the mother of an fnc0rrigible
boy had thought the appearance OF the ambu-
lance would make him more amenabIe TO dfsci-
pline and had acted accordingly The hospitals
prefer 10 have all calls come through the police
but they may respond TO private calls. so a con-
| fusion results sometimes that might prove seri-
\ Gus in case there We're two three accidents as
I the same time in the part of the city.
| The proposition 10 have alarm boxes at con-
venient points. with a central bureau for calling
! ambulances, VIII probably be brought to the at
| tentiOn OF the Mayors commission.
1 The programme laid out for the new commits
| sion. OF which ex-COntrOlIer GrOUt is chairman.
| is the preparation Of a definite plan for the
future development Of the hospital system OF the
greater city that IL Will not be dependent upon
| private institutions SOWn indisCTmtnateiy about
/ the city and run in as many different ways as
there are hospitals. and that will also bring the
| public hospitals under different depart
ments together under administration In
/ order to do this il has been suggested that the
city, instead Of following the policy indicated by
| the expenditure of $500 GOO on q new Bellevue,
/ thus concentrating a large sum of money in one
/ spot. build chain of moderate sized hospitals
/ of about five hundred beds each al regular
points throughout the city for acute and emer-
gency cases. The centre of the system would be
| group Of hospitals. surrounded by park, on
/ Blacllwers Island for the care Of the conva-
/ descent and chronic cases. All kinds Of cases
would be provided for. No one knows how much
] such system would cost. but some have guessed
that il would be $4,000 600. II is the idea that
| the commission will prepare its plan so that
| suitable legislation may be secured at the rext
1 session Of the legislature.