New-York tribune., 1907-05-24
DOCTORS MAKE PROTEST
OYERWORKED, THEY SAY.
Health Department Physicians
Think Number Should BE Increased.

TOO much Of good thing" is the cry OF the
hundred physicians employed by the Health De-
partment who are willing to work. but are
complaining of being overworked, and say
they cannot meet the requirements of the
department For the last six months the phy-
sicians have been compelled to do double work
because a number of them have been absent or
sick The work of the Health Department. they
say. is of greater Importance than that of any
other department in the city 1t vastly eX-
ceeds that OF the Police Department inasmuch
as il deals with the health of the entire com
munity. The physicians are mostly under civil
service rules. getting a salary OF slOo MONTH
The number Of physicians of the contagious
disease division Of whom there thirty. they
say. should be doubled. The doctors say they
are compelled to work sometimes eighteen hours
a day where they should work six. and have to
work on holidays ana Sundays. physician
who is the head Of the department on contagious
diseases said yesterday that II the present
scope of the Health Department was 10 be main
tained the force must be considerably aug
rnanted. He continued:
At the present time. the doctors who used 10
have their separate districts 10 handle con-
tagious diseases have now to cover from two 10
three districts. They have many as twenty
five thirty cases of various diseases TO attend
10. They constantly come I'm contact with dis
ease in its most virulent form. and often carry
the disease home to their families.
\ number OF the doctors are sick now. some
with scarlet fever, diphtherIa and other diseases
which they have contracted This. OF course.
decreases our number to great extent, and
the result is we are compelled 70 double up.
This goes on every day. They don't even get
Il chance to attend TO their own private practice.
which they allowed. The overwhelming ar
rival of the 1900 900 immigrants of last year at
Ellis Island increases disease We are kept
busy day and night with the hundreds Of cases
that are reported every day. / don't say that
rE,- Ff-I
to be-but Il gives all double work and We
will be physical wrecks To meet this
great demand OF medical treatment VI force
will have 10 be increased or the dlseas liable
10 get headWay and beyond our control I, check.
Telephone calls come pouring IN every minute
Of the day reporting new cases. II We haven't
got man handy the case has TO wait. The first
doctor who comes in from a case Is sent right
out again. He doesn't get n chance to breathe.
AS the doctors inside. they. too are over
worked. The thousands OF children, men and
women who come every day to be vaccinated
keep the doctors busy day and night. They
also suffer.
The clerical work is just the same In fact
every one is working hard. and has TO do double
work. The building we occupy was formerly
the old New York Athletic Club. II is entirely
unsuited and inadequate for the work that is
now being carried on. There was an annex
built five years ago. That is occupied by Or
Guilfoy registrar of records, and those under
him. l don't understand why the city cannot
build larger building, as we are crushed like
pigs In pen | understand that Or. Darling
ton has several occasions asked for more
money, as TO appoint more physicians. There
now over thirty vacancies 10 be filled. which
would relieve all this congestion.
When Commissioner Darlington was seen yes
terddy he said that the Health Department was
being reorganized. and that he trying to
make model department.
Just feel that there is enough
money on hand" said the Commissioner. there
will he further appointments of physicians. l
Will admit tAat | am working them hard. They
have asked for raise of salary and other things.
which l would gladly do for them If / had the
money.
The Controllers office is investigating
my office To what is necessary. All the
money | have now has TO go toward the reor-
gauizing Of the department, and l hope soon to
make 81 model department
We have appropriations for the different de-
partments That money is absolutely necessary
to carry the work of each department
1.-The doctors are the ones who are not we'll
paid ! think they should get more money, and
when get settled down I'll see what | can DO
for them. At present I'm tied up.
There are others who are overwOrked. but
do hope things will be Strengthened out
The Health Department to-day is in better con-
dition than before. Every one does his
work faithfully, even though he is overworked
A little patience is all that is required"