The Indianapolis times., 1930-06-10
HEAL TIL BOARD
FACES CRISIS
AT HOSPITAL
RamshackIe Unit Used by
Flower Mission to Be
Abandoned.
CUT OFF FROM CASH
Community Fund Delaying
Efforts to Help City's
TubercuIar Patients.

The problem Of providing ade-
ouate disqualification facilities for
advanced tubercular patients con-
fronted the city health board today,
with the decision of the Flower
Mission Society to abandon the
present mission hospital, housed in
a dilapidated frame structure in
rear of city hospital.
A committee of Flower Mission
Society leaders visited the heath
board Monday and announced their
decision not to admit additional pa
tients to the present hospital, be-
cause of its "unfitness for human
habitation." Thirty are housed
there.
Dr. William A. Doeppers, city
hospital superintendent, confirmed
the delegations statements that the
building is a fire trap and insani-
tary, because of the smoke and dust
arising from traffic on Coe street"
City Orders Delay
The decision of the Sullivan ad-
ministration to delay construction
of the seven-story ward unit for four
or five years has left the city with
out any provision Tor chronic tuber-
culoSiS cases. A tubercular ward is
included in plans for the ward unit,
which the former council planned to
build this year.
The Flower Mission Society, prac-
tically, the only city agency which
has cared for tuberculosis patients
for the last quarter century, is
handicapped in its plans because of
the failure of the Community Fund
to grant permission" to receive pri-
vate contributions.
The committee told the board
that three letters have been written
to the fund heads recently, but no
reply has been received.
"It seems peculiar to me that the
Community Fund would not permit
you to receive contributions if you
did not conduct a general cam
paign," commented DR.. Frederick E.
jackson, board member.
The mission has about 100000
which it desires to use for construc-
ton of a tuberculosis building at
city hospital. The amount of money
is inadequate to provide a hospital
OF the desired size for indianapolis.
Friends Would Help
Mrs. David Ross, mission preSi-
dent, said the society has a num-
ber of friends interested in tuber-
culosis work who are anxious to
make contributions, but that the
society is not in a position to
solicit.
The society is under the COM
munity fund because it receives
$500 maintenance a year and the
mission is afraid the allotment will
be cut off If fund leaders ire is
aroused.
That's nothing short of thwart-
ing the public health program"
commented a member of the health
board.
David Liggett, fund secretary,
said there had been considerable
correspondence on the subject and
that the problem is for the health
board to handle.
DR.. H. S. Leonard, board presi-
dent, said the health board will CO..
operate in every way with the So
ciety. The board offered site
along the bank of Fall creek, north
of the new power plant.
An architect will be asked to draw
tentative plans for the hospital, de-
signed so additional stories can be
built later. The health board agreed
to take over operation and main
tenance of the plant If donated to
the city.
Hospital Is Crowded
The hospital already is crowded
and has no facilities for handling
tubercular cases. DR.. Doeppers OPP
poses portable structures, because
they are unsafe and difficult to heat.
With closing of the mission hospital.
there will be no place for advanced
tubercular patients to go, Sunnysids
having a long waiting list and TAX
ing only durable cases.
DR.. Herman G. Morgan, city sani-
tartan, said the city should have
100-bed unit, but that twenty-five
or fifty beds win aid greatly the
present situation.
"The present hospital is q blot
on the name of Indianapolis and
we have enough civic pride to want
to remove it, declared Mrs. Robert
Elliott.
Other members Of the delegation
were Mrs. Robert Geddes, former
president; Mrs. G. j. Buch-
anan. Mrs. w. C.. Smith and Mrs.