The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-11-13
The New Russia, No. g.
GREAT MEDICAL
SYSTEM BUILT
UP IN RUSSIA
Soviet Interested Mainly in
Keeping Its Babies in
Best of Health.
BY JULIA BLANSHARD
STAFF Writer for NEA Service and The
- Times, Sent to Soviet Russia Especially
for This Series

ZINES, sent 10 soviet Russia Especially
for This Series
Copyright. 1881. NEA Service. Inc)
If you were an expectant mother
in Russia, it would pay you to be
a factory worker. You would be
entitled to four months of with
pay when the baby was born.
If you we're lawyer, teacher or
clerical worker, you would get three
months vacation from work either
two months before your baby was
born and one afterward-or one
month before and two afterward.
You would have no worry over
doctors or nurses bills. You would
be entitled to ten days free in the
hospital. In overcrowded Moscow,
you might get only three days, to
make room for somebody else, but
you would be sure Of free care.
The Soviet government has social
lied the whole medical profession.
All doctors are on the state pay roll,
all workers doctor bills are paid
by the state.
Responsible for $4,000
One day I visited Moscow
general dispensary located in an
outlying district, where there are
two huge textile factories and, one
metallurgical and one chemical fac
tory. This dispensary is responsible
for the health Of the $4,000 persons
in this district. 1t handles 1000
cases a day. Everything from a pair
of glasses to a major operation is
free. All the doctors, nurses, dieti-
tians and other workers are govern
ment employees.
Five lines Of men, women and
children waited in the hall, before
the windows that registered pa
tents. A huge wall newspaper,
gaudily gotten up with colored
crayon sketches and printing,
cautioned patients to talk only to
the doctor about your sickness"
Russia's medical care of its chill
dren is one Of its most successful
health programs. In the first years,
after the revolution, the death rate
was forty-seven children to every
1000. Now nineteen to every 1000.
The American figure is fourteen to
1000.
Institute Is Responsible
1.-THE Institute for Mother and
Child" Is responsible largely for this
health improvement. I visited the
original institute in Moscow. Its
huge gray stone buildings flank a
spacious park with flower gardens
and trees.
Here an open-air nursery is main
tanned in summer which accommo-
dates $50 babies. There is mu-
scum of rudimentary child health
how to wash a baby, dress baby,
prepare the babys formula and
sterilize its bottle.
A flaming poster Of a militant
little babies Soviet caught my eye.
It read, 1--WE demand protection
from flies. We want clean, dry dia-
pers and milk from freshly washed
bottles"
Extra Tor home CallS
Other graphic posters announce:
"a closed window opens the door
for the undertaken" and, "Pacif1ers
kill more babies than cannons kill
grown-ups."
You can get doctor to come and
see you at home by paying extra
for him. He will be attached toll
some hospital and paid by the state
but after working hours he can
have private practice if he wants it.
Unless he is a Communist, that is
No Communist can work for any
private individual.
I visited two of the 'rest homes"
near Moscow maintained by unions
for their sick workers. They we're
sanitariums that, according to our
standards, were none too comfort
able.
And This Is Heaven!
But to Russians, never used to
comfort, these homes with clean
beds, comfortable deck chairs out in
The sun, special medical treatment
eand nourishing food, were heavenl
Down in the north Caucasus I
saw an outdoor camp for tuber-
cular children. Here the govern
ment sends children with Slight
defects, underweight tots, I with
malnutrition or a touch of tuber-
culoSiS.
Down in the Crimea the former
cars palaces are now sanitari-
ums. All through Russia, old
country palaces are being turned
into government rest homes.
In Khorkov I saw a huge new
clinic of which the workers boast.
1t has some of the best modern
electrical equipment in all of
Europe. 1t has just been completed
as part of this districts ''Five-Year
Plan"
Notwithstanding in Soviet
Russia =. Sleeping on hard,
bare shelves and keeping warm
as best you can. Privacy in a
compartment occupied by both
men and women, and all utter
strangers.