Milford chronicle., 1935-01-18
TARUMIANZ
In MOOD TO
QUIT HOSPITAL
TC6ntlnesa from 20 -

[CoEtisgsd from FNSi PsSs1
things are destroyed by the mental
ly III for no reason at all, and ex-
planned how they must be handled.
Fred H. Gagthrop, president, and
DR.. Rowland G. PaynteF. treasurer,
also spoke.
DR.. Tarumianz in a prepared state
ment submitted to the budget COM
mittee reviewed the history Of the
institution since It was established
in 1899 up to the present time and
sets out the improvements that have
been made in recent years.
Psychlatrie Unit
He told of the establishment Of q
psychiatTic observation clinic in Feb
ruary, 1882, a separate unit for OBJ
servation, study, diagnosis and treat
nlent of persons suffering from men
tai and nervous diseases without be-
ing legally committed. to the State
Hospital proper. He says up to July
1, last year, 299 persons were ad-
mitted to this clinic, 212 were dis
charged and 4S were transferred to
the State Hospital. He points out
the necessity Of having the proper
physical means to treat patients
properly so that they can be cured
and discharged thereby saving the
State the expense Of keeping them
for many years.
Few people realize that at the
present time we have over 400 pa
tients, almost forty per cent Of the
population, who require continued
treatment, in other words, chronic
cases most Of whom are hODelessIy
ILL.," DR.. Tarumianz added. "a large
per cent Of this number could have
been cured or adjusted In the COM
munity If there had been proper.
means and facilities years ago.
Each continued treatment case costs
the State about $4,000 considering
a hospital life Of about thirty years.
Let us> assume by applying proper
housing care and treatment we
could increase our number Of dis
charges by 10 years. At the end Of
80 years we would have a saving of
over two million dollars, counted on
the basis Of $500 per year per per-
son. This is a business problem, even
though we should forget the human
itarian side of the question.
Maintenance Cost
I'VE are glad to state that the ex-
peQse Of maintaining TINS institu-
tion Is not above that Of any other
institution Of the same size and
offering the same service. For the
two years ending June 30, 1884, the
per capita cost was SB.04 per week,
which included salaries and wages,
provisions, fuel, repairs and replace
ment, equipment, permanent inn
provement, Psychiatrie Observation
Clinic, extra-mural preventive work
through Mental Hygiene Clinic, and
all Other expenditures for mainte-
nance such as Office supplies, travel.
shop supplies including provisions,
fuel, wearing apparel, medical and |
surgical care and many other d.
visions which come under mainte-
nance.
"If we exclude the sum expended 4
for repairs and requirements, equip |
ment and permanent improvements,
as it is the custom in many State /
Hospitals, the per capita cost per
week will be reduced to S6.93.
Recently through legislative pro-
cess the State Hospital approved
the building for county known as
New Castle County Hospital from
the Trustees of the Poor OF New
Castle County, large obsolete,
to certain extent build
ing. The North East section Of this
building was remodeled at the cost
1f about $96,0O0.OO In addition to
his small section has been remodel
d and some 30 employees have been
housed there. The rest, which con-
stitutes twO-thirds Of the above men
toned building, is idle and cannot be
Utilized for any purpose unless
,ome funds can be obtained for re-
and repairing Of the same.
1--WE included In our budget for
remOdeling and semi
ire proOfing, including steam. water,
iewer and electric lines, $195.OOO,
or equipment and furnishing of the
iame $4,000. a total Of $215.OOO. At
he last legislative session bills were
presented, for the amount Of $685.
100 for this work. Since then, con-
racts for the sum Of 100000 worth
# work, have been awarded. leaving
work amounting to
;215.O00. This work can be complet-
ID by January. 1886. and can ac-
iommodate additional 22O patients"