New Britain herald., 1930-02-14
DISEASE HOSPITAL
 NEED IS STRESSED
D1. DumODt Advocates Opening
 Of Isolation Station

and reports the contagious disease conditions Of New Britain.
 His statement follows:-
 The state sanitary code rcqIircs the health officer. upon rccoi,iue a report of case ot any communic- ahlr disease 10 promptly institute and maintain proper isolation and quarantine
 Whenever the patient may be properly isolated. the wage carncr may be allowed to attend to his duties. providing that he docs moi come in contact with the patient. Children in the household that har, not had tho disease must remain nome until the case is released. uu- less 1t is possible to place the chfI- dren in a family where there arc no children, and where they arc held under observation during the period of incubation, after which time thcv are allowed to return to school Children that have had the disease are allowed 10 go 10 school. proyid- Ing they arc sent out in q family where there arc no children. We frequently have cases where the patient cannot be properly isolated due to lack Of room. Consequently the~children arc constantly exposed and in many instances contract the disease from the initial case, wherc as, had the patient been removed 10 an isolation hospital. many cases would have been avoided. If the city provided an isolation hospital. whenever, in the opinion of the superintendent of health it is i'm possible to institute proper isolation. the patient could be removed to the hospital. and other children in the family that have not had the dis ease could be held under observation for the period of incubation. which Is a comparatively short time. after which they could be rcadmitted to school.
 Tt frequently happens that ill cases where the patient is not properly isolated. the wage earncr has to remain home or secure liv- ing quarters elsewhere. Many times this is an additional expense to him. or If he is unable to take of same. the support Of his family falls upon the city.
 "1n addition to the time and money lost by the wage carncr. We have 10 consider the loss of school Ing to the contacts and the uu- necessary waste Of money to tho city, since the child is a potential expense, even though he does not attend school during the ouaran- tine period
 According 10 our records, NC submit to this committee the fol- lowing statistics.
 tluarantincS in 192S-29
 During 1928 and 1929 there were 66 cases of diphtheria and D houses quarantincd. Of these cases S wore contracted through exposure to the lnltlal infections. 5 school contacts were excluded from school during the entire period Of quarantine. For inc same period of time there were 292 cases of scarlet fever and PA houses quarantined. Of these cases 4 were contracted through cyno- sure 10 the initial infections. 245 school contacts were excluded from school during the entire period Of quarantine. The total loss of time from these two diseases was 3.7G2 school days. It is estimated by inc school authorities that the cost per pupil per day is fl cents. and at this rate S1,G55.2S was expended by the city for which there was no value received
 I.
 Of the most prevalent diseases and arc taken from a normal two year period, during which time neither Of the two diseases reached an cpi- dcmic stage.
 If the patients had been rcmoy- cd to an isolation hospital at the onset of the disease, this figure for contact 1bsentccs would have beer materially reduced because they would have been allowed 10 attend school. after a short period Of ob- H"rValIon, instead Of being freed 10 remain homo for the entire pcrioG oi quaranliuc, Ijkc%lso many ot lhoSo diseases arc followed hy sefloue complications which rouljir, prompt surgical attention. II is moi possible to take care of them at hom" and il is not done at n gen eral hospital. drIa to the Gangcr Of . ooutaEjon. From tHrsr Tacts if ia easily seen that au isolation hospital in oach community is highly dcsjr- able.
 Tn certain instances wuar, families persist in breaking q1aran- . tine regulation. it. becomes necessary 10 hire inc services Of a police oni- cor, tn" expense og which has 10 b. borne Ey thc city.
 Prom January 1st 10 July 8lst. 1929, committee on administrative practice of the American Public Health assooation made a study Of the care Of communicable diseases a5 unit within general hospitals. This committee reported that it was a distinct advantage 10 have a com municable disease division as dcfi- uile part Of q general hospital. with little or none of the imagined dis advantages. In many cases the link Up was a distinct advantage 10 the general hospital itself Commuuic- able disease cases can be cared for as part Of general hospitals func- lion at considerably less cost 10 Ih. . city. The caro with which patient with a communicable disease Is handled will largely detouutn, . whether that disease will spread to others. This perhaps. is Inc best reason for Soudiug patients 10 iso- latjOn hospitals WIr;" nurses and i. doctors arc handling these casre . daily"
 IE!NH IMPROVE AIRPORT