Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-20
MORE FACILITIES
in HOSP|TALSASKED
Report Suggests Capital Pro-
vide Better for Chronic and
ConVaIescent Patients.

Washington, although 1t is adequately
equipped with hospital cots and clinical
facilities for medical and surgical treat
ment, is in need of additional facilities
for specialized cases, and its social serv-
ice could be improved, according to the
Community Relationship of Hospitals
Section of the health and hospital sur
vey made by the American Public
Health Association under the auspices
OF the Washington Council of Social
Agencies. The report was made public
today.
The CHIEF recommendations are that
Washington be provided with additional
facilities for convaleScent and chronic
patients; that tuberculosis sanitarium
for children be Immediately established;
that more adequate care be given to
acute communicable diseases and that
the facilities at St. Elizabeth's Hospital
be improved. The report suggests also
more thorough system of collecting
payments for hospital care.
Most Cost Less Than IS.
The report reveals that Of the 10.834
beds available in and nearby the Dis
trict for all types of cases, 67.7 per cent
are procurable at less than IS per day.
Excluding Walter Reed, Naval, Mount
Alto and st. Elizabeth's Hospitals. there
are about 1874 beds per ZOO population
In general hospitals, excluding tuber
culosis, communicable disease, mental,
convalescent and chronic beds and all
hospitals of Federal nature, there are
2,573 beds, or Al per 1000 population"
the report states. I'm general hospitals,
including facilities used by the District
in Federal hospitals. there are 1918 beds,
or 5.4 beds per 1000 population. For
Tuberculosis cases, there are 255 beds, or
O.5 bed per 1000 population, or~0.45 bed
per annual death. For communicable
disease cases, there are 224 beds, or GAL
bed per 1000 population. For mental
cases, there are 2,571 beds, or At beds
per 1000 population. For convalescents
and chronics, there are 22l beds, or 0.4
bed per 1000 population.
CoIOred People Cared For.
The interests of the colored people
have not been neglected, and they have
proportionately more beds than might
be expected If the sole basis of allot-
ment were the relative percentage of
total population.
Washington has no deficiency OF
clinics and can show a larger number
OF clinic visits than is the average for
most cities comparable in population.
The charges made in the clinics are
comparatively low.
With an adequate, well organized
social service and an extended visiting
nursing service which In numbers would
be more In keeping with the population
both from the standpoint of its numbers
and its racial elements there would not
be so many who fail to ask for or TO
obtain the services of physician, or of
such other conyaleScent services as they
should have to restore them to econcmic
lsefulnesS and personal happiness.
More of Type Needed.
Outside of the provision made at the
United States Soldiers Home fer the
chemically i'll in that institution and
at the Home for the Aged and Infirm,
there are not more than 135 beds reg
ularly set apart for the use of the
chronically i'll or the incurab'e
There are very few cities that have
anything like adequate provision for
chronic and incurable cases, but good
number have according to population
made more ample provision than Wash
ington.
There are no doubt a few patients
in general hospitals that because of the
nature of their illness or some compli-
cation make 1t desirable to keep them
in general or special hospitals for a
longer period than three months, but
in many instances the patients have to
be kept in hospitals because they still
need some surgical, medical or nursing
attention and there is no suitable con-
valescent home either attached to or
independent of the hospitals to which
such patients should be transferred.
Such a transfer in many cases would
be better for the hospital, better for
the patient and saving TO him and to
the community"