Evening star., 1933-04-09
HOSPITAL STATUS
f. OF TUBERCULARH HIT
Facilities Here "Woefully In
adequate" Senate Com
mittee Is Told.

In a statement filed last night with
Chairman King of the Senate District
Committee, the District Medical So
ciety charged that hospital facilities
for tubercular patients here are woe
fully inadequate" The society charged
that 40 patients died at Gallinger Hos
pital the first three months of 1888
as compared with "a at the Tubercu-
losis Hospital in the same period.
The April 6 census showed 2l2 pa
tents at the tuberculosis Hospital and
80 at Gallinger
AT the present death rate there will
be well over 500 deaths for the year
ending December 81, 1888" said the
letter, signed by Dr. A. Barklie Coul-
ter. chairman Of the society's Tuber-
culosls Committee. The total deaths
at Gallinger Hospital of tuberculosis
are little over twice as great as that
OF the tuberculosis Hospital And by
comparison with their roster of tu-
berculous patients of April 6, the death
rate Is IL times as great at Gallinger
Hospital. from tuberculosis, as at the
tuberculosis Hospital
More Advanced Cases
1T Is apparent from these statistics
that those in authority assigning TO
these hospitals send the more advanced
cases to Gallinger and these patients
generally die before there Is oppor-
tunity to transfer them to the Tuber-
culosis Hospital.
1T was unusual during the IA months
That ! was head of the department Of
medicine Of Gallinger Hospital in 1880
ana 1881 to be able to transfer any
great number Of bed patients from that
hospital to the tuberculosis Hospital.
Inc transfers consisted of ambuiant
cases, who of themselves would have
had more chance to recover under less
favorable conditions.
The Gallinger Hospital is un-
equipped in facilities, nurses and men
who specialize in various tuberculosis
procedures Of treatment to give these
patients proper attention. The policy
OF placing the more advanced tubercu-
lous patients in a non tuberculosis
hospital is bad and is self-confession
on the part Of those dealing with the
assignment Of patients that they be-
lieve that nothing can be done for these
patients when they are sent to GallinRer
Hospital. This attitude Is based on ig-
norance and not on fact.
Policy in Foreign Lands.
such q policy was instituted BY
many foreign countries following the
World War, when only those with hopes
OF a reasonably short disqualification
were treated, and the others were al
lowed to remain at home and get well
as best they could or die. But this
policy Of the foreign countries waf
forced upon them due to their eco<
nomic condition. Long disqualification
was too great financial burden for
their country to bear. and as conse-
quence, this communicable disease
spread rapidly. trust that this policy
in the District Of Columbia Is not based
on the same factors.
"On statistics from the Health De-
partment Of the District OF Columbia
for March, dealing with the reported
cases and deaths for that month, IL
appears that one has about one chance
In four Of living II one develops tuber-
culosis in the District OF Columbia.
Such a conditions Is scandalous and
10 travesty on what is termed sane
public health procedure" ass