The Washington times., 1933-12-12
BY JOHN E. TAYLOR

One of the most logical argu-
-Ynents for consolidation Of county
governments is found in the con-
dition of public health work in a
majority of Virginia's counties.
: The most important factor IN
: public health work is a permanent,
well trained, and we'll organized
- personnel. With few notable ex-
ceptions, the counties of Virginia
are lacking in this essential.
Responsibility Scattered
Health functions in the coun-
ties are participated in by the 1ol'
lowing agencies:
The county health board, the
State Board of Health, the local
school officials and nurses, the
Red Cross, the county physician
the county health officer, sanitary
inspectors, and nurses.
There is no one individual or
agency responsible for the prosecu-
ton of health work, and, IN most
cases, these agencies work IN"
dependently with no unified
effort.
80 A complete health unit is con-
sidered to include at least a medl-
cal director, a sanitary officer
and a nurse. At present there
-. are Is of these units in Virginia,
covering 27 counties. Twelve
counties have a sanitary officer
and a nurse, and q other coun-
ties have either a sanitary officer
or a nurse.
; There are "a of the 100 coun-
ties without any local health
agency except the local boards OF
health.
System Inefficient
The very constitution of these
bodies makes it impossible for
them to give adequate protection
= to the public health Of their COM
munities.
+. Under the law, these boards
comprise three members appointed
by the State Board of Health and
the county clerk aid chairman OF
the board of supervisors, exofficio.
In practice the State board &p-
points only physicians. although
the law requires only one of the
three to be a physician Thus,
the local board is made up Of
three busy physicians and two
county officers charged with
other duties.
The latter two members as a
rule show little interest in or
knowledge of health work, and
the three physicians are too
busy with their private practice
to do more than an extremely
small part of the work expected
Of them.
Little Pay For Physicians
The little the physicians do is
done practically without COM
pensation and usually at great
personal sacrifice Of time and
energy.
It is seen that these thirty
four counties are virtually with
out any public health service
except that which the State
Board of Health may see fit to
provide. Furthermore, thirty.
nine other counties provide only
q partial and inadequate service.
In view Of these facts it can
be conServatively sta ted that
the counties of Virginia are less
than so per cent efficient in the
performance of the important
function of public health work.
Although these conditions seem
to fortify the contention that the
State should take over all the
health work in the State, there
are those who believe this to be
an unsatisfactory solution of the
problem. The problem of rural
sanitation and prevention of dis
ease can be solved effectively and
economically only at it's source
and the county or a combination
of counties must be made use of in
the solution.
The report of the Commission
on County Government, made to
the general assembly in 1881,
said:
"SOme counties are too small
to maintain a fuIl-time health
unit without economic loss. This
problem should be met by
county cooperation. Wherever
CONTINUED on Page IS, Col. 81