Evening star., 1928-12-11
HOSPITAL DESIRES
TO CONTINUE CLINIC
DR.. w. P. Morrill,, Head of Co.
Iumbia, Anxious to Keep
I Up Charity Work.

, In spite of the fact that Columbia
Hospital is in precariouS financial
Estate and for years has gone heavily
on the red side of the ledger in its
charity work, allotted and paid for in
part by the District, Dr.. w. P. Morrill,,
superintendent of the hospital, declared
today his hospital is anxious to con-
the Board of Public Welfare to CEN
tralize the charity hospital work at
Gallinger Hospital after the current
fiscal year as an ill-adviSed one.
DR.. Merrill pointed to the death
rate figures of Columbia Hospital in
charity work as the great reason for the
continuance Of charity work at Co
1umbia.
Last year in the District there were
tS7 deaths in total of 3,085 childbirth
leases. Not all of these cases were
handled in the hospitals of the District.
The death rate for the hospitals, DR..
fMoTTill says was fiat is per 1000.
THE discrepancy in the total figures and
the hospital figures. DR.. Morrill, points
out, is due to the fact that practically
all average hospital death rate figures
are 25 per cent above the private case
figures because of the more difficult
leases handled by hospitals.
The death rate Of Columbia for the
past year, DR.. Morrill, further explained,
was on the average of per 1000. This
small figure he attributes wholly to the
fpre-natal clinic maintained by the hos
fa1ital for charity cases, in which each
charity case presented is studied to the
nlllest extent, not, as Dr. Morrill, puts
it, "for the sake of the "a normal cases
presented, but for the twenty fifth alb
knormal case that comes up and Is a
Enew problem for the medical men,"
VIII Abandon Clinic.
II the help that the Government ap-
preparation has been to the mainte-
nance of the charity work, of which this
clinic is an important part, Is with
drawn, as is the decision in the CEN
tralization of charity work at Gallinger
Hospital and the emergency hospitals,
the clinic viii have to be abandoned
and that part OF Columbia Hospital
which has been used for charity pa
Eaccording to Dr. Morrill,. will have to
/ be converted into quarters for white
patients.
The construction of the hospital Is
of such a nature, DR.. Morrill, states,
/ that If the charity allntmentS are wtth=
drawn Columbia must become entirely
! q hospital for whites.
DR.. Morrill, predicts that charity pa
tients of his section Of the city will not
go to Gallinger.
1--WE are so isolated in this section of
/ the CITY," he said, "and such a distance
from Gallinger that don't believe those
who now are coming to us for charity
treatment will go elsewhere. We win
not be able to take them when the Dis
! tr1ct appropriation for their care is not
Forthcoming, and / feel that there Is to
be some added suffering from this con-
dition."
DR.. Morrill, said that nothing has
been done by the hospital to have the
charity allotment continued, but that
every energy will be bent by the hos
pital authorities to that end If the
opening presents itself.
= Hospitals VIII Benefit.
The majority of hospitals which have
been taking charity work will benefit
from the withdrawal Of their allot-
ments, George s.. Wilson, director Of
public welfare, said today. With the
, Capitalization of charity work at Gal
linger, Emergency, Casualty and Freed
/ mems, the latter Government hos
pital, the other hospitals will not, after
the current fiscal year, have to take
the charity patients they have been
allotted heretofore, and therefore will
save the cost, over and above the Gov
eminent appropriation, which the hos
pitfalls have paid in the past.
The boards figures in the case OF