Evening star., 1937-11-25
Collinger's Limited Facilities
Held Bar to Patients Recovery
DR.. Bocock Says Efficient Operation of
HOSPITALS Possible Onlyif Commits
siOners and Congress- Act.

increase in proper building facilities,
the Gallinger Executive Committee
wrote the Commissioners on Novem-
Der 2. 1888, has seriously interfered
With the adequate care and treatment
OF the sick and may be a source Of
criticism from patents themselves,
their relatives or friends"
Personnel Needs Noted.
The committee also stressed the
need for additional personnel at that
time and urgently recommended
that the Commissioners insist that
Congress provide sufficient funds to
relieve the situation.
There has been some increase in
appropriations from year to year, but
hospital ofncials contend they have
Jagged far behind the increasing need.
DR.. Bocock said in his last annual
report, submitted to the Commissioners
on August l3. 1887, that shortage of
nurses was particularly acute last
year. This shortage, he added "is
probably more definitely responsible
for well-warranted criticism concern
ing the care OF patients than any other
factor. although enforced overcrowd-
ing OF the wards and use of unsuitable
accommodations is also in a measure
responsible"
The primary needs Immediately to
enable Gallinger to approach modern
hospital standards, DR.. Bocock said
today, are for new 250-bed medical
building. and for at least 100 addi-
tional employees. To maintain ideal
conditions, he added. there should be
three other new buildings or extern
sions-for child patients, a doctors
home and nurses home-and 800 in
stead OF 100 more employees
Building Fund Cut Out.
The Health Department asked
$l50,O00 to begin construction of the
proposed $4,000 medical building in
its 1889 budget, but the Commits
sioners cut it out before preparing the
District budget for submission to
Congress.
This building would relieve the
present congestion in the medical
surgical building by housing all the
hospitals medical patients, except the
communicable disease cases. and the
x-ray laboratory so the present main
| building could be used solely for sur
gical cases. Built for 28O patients, its
wards were crowded with AIS today.
Removing the X-ray equipment
from the sixth floor of the present
building would give space for two more
urgently needed operating rooms, DR..
Bocock said. There now are only
three major operating rooms-one
OF them converted from a minor op-
Grating room. At times operations
have to be delayed to the possible
detriment Of the patient because the
operating rooms are full.
Another new building is sorely
needed for children, Dr. Bocock said.
because it now is necessary to house
child patients in q structure built in
184S for an asylum, later used for
nurses home and then abandoned
before being pressed into service again
four years ago. A three-story build
ing. it has no elevators.
Extra Leave Creates Problem.
DR.. Bocock said the personnel
problem had been intensified by
changes in the law last year increas-
ing each employees annual leave to
26 days, without provision for extra
help to take up the slack.
Scarcity of funds has made it i'm
possible to buy new equipment as long
as the old could be made to work. DR.,
Bocock added. Modern X-ray equip
ment is particularly needed, he said,
and many instruments should be re-
placed for good medical practice and
efficiency.
The hospital stan is struggling con-
stantly against all these obstacles to
give fair service to the thousands OF
patients that it must try to care for,
somehow, the superintendent en-
phasized.
Unsuitable as they are, abandoned
old buildings on the hospital grounds
have been reopened and renovated as
we'll rs possible to meet increasing
demands.
DR.. Bocock is particularly proud Of
a well-equipped anti-luetic clinic
opened last week in a building made
over for the purpose by hospital car
penters. The doors were made in the
hospital shop. much Of the equipment
salvaged from other departments, re-
paired and painted. "The only out
side work here was the installation Of
telephones" he said. The clinic treats
$50 syphilis patients = week.
Other Wards Created.
Two other Of the old buildings have
been fixed up recently as airy wards
for tuberculosis patients. There was
no money to buy tables or . bookcase
for them, 50 these articles were made
In the hospital shop.
The renovators have not got around
to another old building being used
also for a tuberculosis ward, however.
The plaster is gradually falling of its
walls, and the roof of . tiny sun
porch" is sagging DR.. Bocock re-
Gently used prison labor to build brick
pillars for a new porch, which would
give room for Is more beds. but has
no idea when workers will be avail
able to complete the job
Cooks in the main building are pre-
pairing 3,50S, meals q day on four
home-size ranges that have been re
paired and repaired" until they are
about worn out, DR.. Bocock said.