Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-15
GALL|NGER DENIES
BLAME IN CHILD
ENTRANCE CASES
Submits First Report in Probe
Into Hospitals Refusal to
to Admit Patients.
ZANELOTTI GIRL HELD
NOT EMERGENCY CASE
lead of Children's Staff Defends
Institutions Handling of
Three Children.

4A1CC OAL1uACA'
Gallinger Municipal Hospital. submit
ting the first report in the investigation
into the refusal of several Washington
hospitals recently to admit three chill
dren, two of whom were dying, today
denied it was to blame in the cases.
The report. made to the Board OF
Public Welfare, which is conducting the
inquiry, declared that in the case OF
Catherine Zanelotti, 3, who recovered
the child was not in the best judg-
ment" of the examining physician an
emergency case and therefore could not
be admitted under the Welfare Board S
rules without permit.
No mention was made in the report
Of the case of Samuel Goddett, 9. who
was denied admission to Emergency ana
Children's Hospitals and who died OF
lockjaw at Gallirger. The boy was ad-
mitted to the municipal hospital I'M
mediatsly upon application and every
thing possible was done to save his life,
according to Gallinger authorities. The
hospital was not concerned with the
other case-Eva Mae Dixon, 5, who died
of burns at Children's Hospital after
being shunted from Sibley where she
received first aid, to Garfield.
Second Probe Scheduled.
A second investigation into the three
cases will be begun tomorrow morning
when superintendentS of the hospitals
affected meet with members OF the
Health Committee of the Council OF
Social Agencies. The hospital superin-
tendents viii be asked to file complete
reports on the affairs for the informa-
ton of the Council of the Community
Chest. which organizations give financial
- g. @l,4 I've
Meanwhile DR. Frank Leech chair
man of the medical staff at Children's
Hospital, issued lengthy statement
defending his institutions handling OF
the three children.
Pointing out it has been the policy
of Children'S Hospital through the
years never to refuse admission to any
person needing hospital treatment, ex-
cept only contagious or highly infec-
tious diseases" DR.. Leech declared the
Dixon child was admitted Immediately
because of the extreme emergency OF
her case"
mot Critically ILL.,"
The Goddett boy was sent to CAL
linger he said, because he was not a
critically i'll patient" and because the
hospitals isolation ward then contained
three cases of infantile paralysis. The
Zanelotu girl, similarly, not being an
emergency case. also was transferred
to Gallinger, DR.. Leech said.
1T is my personal opinion" he con-
cluded. that the admission of patients
to Childrens Hospital who would come
under the Board OF Public Welfare or
the budget of the Community Chest,
should not be limited to extreme emer-
gencies, and that when cases are ad-
mitted, an arrangement should be pos
sible whereby the hospital would be re-
imbursed for all special treatments
necessary to carry out this policy"
Under the Welfare Boards rules, indi-
gent children may not be admitted to
Children's Hospital, except in cases OF
emergency until all beds IN the chill
dren's ward at Gallinger have been
filled. Care OF sick children, admitted
without permit will not be paid for by
the board under the ruling.
DR.. Leech's Statement.
Or. Leech's full statement follows:
1T has been the policy of this hos
al through the years never to refuse
admission to any patient needing hos
pital treatment. excepting only con-
tagious or highly infectious diseases.
Lack Of enough isolation facilities and
the need of protection for the children
already admitted to the house make 1t
necessary to send these cases to other
hospitals where such facilities exist,
and the judgment of the physicians on
the hospital staff determines the eligi-
bility of patients for admission.
THE Board of Public Welfare has,
through Congress. provided new build
ings at Gallinger Hospital with the very
best equipment and a personnel able
and competent to care for these cases.
and does not approve admission to
Cnildren's Hospital for other than
emergency cases.
Cooperation Necessary.
with limited space and financial
means it is necessary that the Chill
dren's Hospital cooperate wherever
possible with the Board of Public We'll
fare In the care of all patients applying
to the hospital for treatment.
IF 1t were possible to provide space
for emergency care for all cases Of
doubtful nature and the financial
means to care for the same pending
definite diagnosis. We feel that such
criticism would pe avoided.
LAS mentioned above. this was the
policy up until the new Board of Public
Welfare and the completion of the
children's ward at Gallinger Hospital,
with facilities for taking care of chill
dren and also our entry into the Com
munity Chest.
the daily press-Eva Mae Dixon, who
was admitted suffering from burns and
had an infectious disease, was taken
care of without any question on the
ground of the extreme emergency. The
outcome Of this case was death within
three hours.
samuel Goddett. who applied for adj
mission at o'clock in the morning on
October g. was not critically i'll pa
ttent, and after careful physical ex-
animation on account Of the ruling Of
the Board Of Public Welfare and the
fact that in our isolation department
we then had three cases of infantile
paralysis, the parents felt that they
would prefer to have the child trans
ferred to Gallinger Hospital, which was
done It is true that the child died
3S hours later, but the outcome of any
case of tetanus is conjecture, some liv-
ing only few hours and some many
days. We do not feel that the Chill
dren's Hospital is open to criticism Of
any kind in this case.
Admission Not Refused.
I'm regard to Catherine zanelotti,
who applied to the hospital on october
10. after examination by our admitting
officer, and nothing being found OF
emergency character, the family was
told that If the child needed further
treatment 1t could be taken care of at
Gallinger Hospital. However, admission
was not refused.
Conversation with the attending
physician of this child revealed that
the case had entirely recovered when
he was called to see 1t that afternoon.
ut is my personal opinion that the
admission OF patienA 70 Children's