The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-12-01
COOK HOSPITAL
VERY CROWDED
More Space Needed to At
tend to Many Medi-
cal Cases Now

Cook hospital needs at least one
third increase Of space in order to
take care of medical cases. There
is an increasing dissatisfaction over
the inability Of the hospital to ac-
coumodate medical pat,euts. One
entire wing should be pu1t for tho
sole use of patients who require
medical. attention, as 1t Is the hos
pital is crowded with surgical cases,
which because Of their emergency
nature must be accepted, and appli-
cants for medical aid have difficult.
ty in getting admission.
Everybody understands that sur
gical cases are nearly always emeT-
gency. In the first place an opera
ton is q last resort after other
treatment has failed; no reputable
physician recommends an opera
tion until every other treatment has
proven futile. Patients themselves,
In dozens of instances, put OF opeT
atlons until there ia every chance
that they would die unless treat
ment was to be had at once.
BY the very nature Of the Illness
which requires surgical treatment
1t is only humanity that the surgl-
cal patient be cared for. The re-
fusal TO accept such q patient il
there was room for bed anywhere
would mean that that person had
lost his best chance for recovery
and that the hospital management
had failed in Its obligation to the
public.
There Is this difference In case
of tho medical patient. Unless suCh
a patient Is to be kept under close
observation for diagnosis. n medical
patient, with n special nurse, and a
quiet room, can be taken care OF
almost equally as well at tho home.
III the physician is accessible and
the accommodations are modern
There is absolutely no dlscrtminn-
tion at the hospital between surgi-
ical and medical patients excepting
such us common humanity demands,
and that is a fact that the manage
nlent wishes 10 establish with the
public.
There are fifty one patients In the
luSLlluiIOll Illlh NGGh' VI lhAS NUM-
her fourteen are medical patients,
land this proportion holds steady al.
most throughout the yepr. There
would be many more medical pa.
itients in the institution II there was
room to receive them.
One instance occurred last week
which demonstrates the active need
for more room. Just on tho heels
Iof a refusal to receive a medical pa
tient, who while very Ill. was not
dependent upon the hospital for
life, there arrived woman who had
been brought in haste from Nor
Igantown without previous arrange
'ment for her acceptance, but'whoSe
refusal would have meant desper-
late chance for her recovery. This
,patient was tRken because she was
not able to be taken back to her
home and she was given a bed re
'served for Just such emergency
cases. The hospital must keep a
bed or. two for cases of this nature,
for no ono can tell the minute
when the call will come for atten.
ton that cannot be denied.
There is bound to be dssatistac.
tion SO long MS this sort OF incident
arises but there Is absolutely no
remedy so long as the hospital is 30
In space. There will
come a time. and 1t should be soon,
when this particular shoe will, so
pinch the public that enough senti.
.ment will be aroused to insist upon
additional room to take caro- OF
these medical cases. It is no fault
OF the hospital management that
these circumstances exist, and there
Is 10 discrimination ut Cooks other
than the call Of common humanity
'!mperatively demands.