Evening star., 1937-05-16
REv|S|ONS SOUGHT
IN HEALTH LAWS
Welfare Board Seeks Pro.
gram to Cut Poor's Hos
pitaI Needs.


Revision Of the District health laws
to provide for compulsory examina-
ton OF all persons having contact
with known cases of tuberculosis has
been recommended to the Commits
sioners by the Board of Public Wei
fare.
This is one of 40 proposals made
by the board in suggesting a COM
prehensive program aimed at re-
duction in the needs Of the INDECENT
for hospital services. The report, re-
leased yesterday, Is one of series
discussing means Of reducing the
costs of welfare services.
The board proposes expansion Of
many present services as a means Of
reducing the causes Of disease and
broken health among the poor, be-
living this eventually would lower the
needs for services.
Supervised Isolation Urged.
The welfare officials urged that
there be requirement of supervised
isolation or disqualification OF tu-
berculosis cases until the patient no
longer could communicate the disease,
and also recommended heavy pen
alties be provided for failures to re-
port discovered cases of the disease.
The cost of care OF the INDECENT sick,
including mental and physical cases.
the board found, now amounts to
about $3,700.000, or much more than
twice the sum expended for the pur-
pose 10 years ago. In 1926, only 1922
INDECENT persons received medical and
hospital treatment at public expense,
whereas during 1886 "the number OF
admissions had increased to the stag
gering total of 1885," the board said
In spite Of the great boost in the
cost and the number Of patients given
free care, the board said lit cannot be
overlooked that Washington has been
decidedly backward as compared with
other cities in providing commonly
accepted necessary requisites to meet
this demand in accordance with mod
ern standards"
Disease Prevention Plans.
Some of the disease prevention
plans, the board said, involve ever
further and more extensive use o1
institutions, such as for tuberculosis
and venereal disease; in others, i'm.
proved community hygiene is a prime
necessity, while still others are basec
upon public education. and the coop.
Grafton Of the medical profession anc
other private welfare agencies"
As to communicable diseases, the
board recommends effective "rehabili.
tation" including the follow-up anc
placement Of patients who have re.
ceived hospital care and whose dis.
eases become arrested or cured; ex.
tension Of the public control facii.
ties Of the Health Department, in.
cluding more nurses and new health
centers, and development of improved
housing for the poor to such an ex.
tent that most, if not all, the In
habited alley dwellings can be va
| Gated.
Facilities Called "Makeshift."
The board held that Gallinger Mu-
nicipal Hospital now has only make.
shift" facilities for tuberculosis pa.
tients, poor accommodations for chill
dren and essentially none for the
treatment of social disease, which II
held is responsible for 10 per cent o1
all insanity, 1s per cent OF all dis.
eases Of the heart and blood vessels
and for many Of the still births and
deaths among babies In the first
weeks OF life.
The board declared that even with
the opening Of the adult tuberculosi.
hospital at Glenn Dale, Nd, the Dis.
trict still would have totally made.
quate" bed capacity for treatment Of
adult tuberculosis patients.
In suggesting means of attacking
the prevalence Of mental disorder
cases, the board proposed extension
of the physical plant and the personnel
Of Gallinger Hospital and the procure
ment of intensive and complete" co.
operation by the Police Department tt
make possible the detention of drug
addicts for sufficient length Of time
to bring about temporary or perma-
| nent cure.
Construction Of . pavilion for We.
nereal diseases at Gallinger also wa.
proposed by the board to provide q
place for isolation Of communicable
cases. The board also proposed that
social disease tests be given to al
ward patients at public and private
hospitals.
Naval Hearings to Continue.