Evening star., 1939-02-15

sand is usually considered ample, but
in 1885 the metropolitan area of
New York City had only 427 and
only 74.8 per cent of those were
occupied on an average.
The bed problem involves not only
the total number of beds but also
whether they are for the right pur-
pose. There should be suitable divis-
ion OF beds for children, eye patients,
medical and surgical patients, men,
women, white, colored, etc. Other
wise there might be empty beds for
surgical male patients while women
patients were crowded into the halls.
And again the beds must be divided
according to price by private rooms,
semi-private rooms and ward beds.
Otherwise there might be no private
room beds available, while there
were hundreds of empty beds in the
wards, or vice versa.
The question of the need for the
new 250-bed building at Gallinger
for general medical and surgical pa
tients arises in this connection. The
Public Health Service report approv-
ing this construction considered only
the number of beds "set up" and not
all those that could be set up" in
figuring the number of beds now
available in the District.
The report states there was space
where 276 more beds could be set up
in the voluntary hospitals, according
to rated capacity. That is, 26 more
beds than are being provided at
Galhnger, so why the expense for
that construction?
Freedmen's Total Stressed.
Some may reply that Gallinger
has been overcrowded. True, but
recently the overcrowding has been
almost entirely in the wards for COL
ored people. There was room at
Freedmen's for So more beds, which
would have relieved the overcrowd-
ing at Gallinger.
Also we should remember that the
people pay the bill for caring for the
INDECENT sick, whether they are in
Gallinger or in one of the voluntary
charitable hospitals. The District
pays tax money to some of the VOL
untary hospitals to care for those
who are unable to pay, and the
Community Chest pays from contri-
buttons from citizens a part of the
cost for other patients in some of
the hospitals.
In keeping with the best American
tradition, Washington has cared for
many of its INDECENT sick in hos
pitals supported in part by volun-
tary contributions. Compulsory sup
port Of institutions like Gallinger by
the grudging payment of taxes is
not charity, and the concentration
of all the INDECENT sick there would
put an end to one of the most potent
factors in encouraging individuals to
policy Of the good neighbor."
In making a plan for the city
there rightly should be an agree
ment by all involved how much of
the load of caring for the INDECENT
sick should fall on the unsupported
hospitals aQd how much on the
hospitals whose deficits are paid
by voluntary contributions.
Locations and Mergers.
Other factors that should be con-
sidered in making a plan include
the location of hospitals in regard
to population and the possibility of
merging certain hospitals.
Still we have not covered all the
ground that must be considered in
establishing the adequacy or in
adequacy of hospital facilities. AS
q matter Of fact, many hospital beds
are an admission of the failure of
other health measures conducted by
the community or violation of the
rules Of health by individuals.
OF course, there always will be the
1eed for operations and other con-
ditions to make it necessary for
some people to go to hospitals. How
ever, health education and early
treatment of the sick can greatly
reduce the present need" for hos
pitals. Six hospital beds per thou
sand may be needed now, but proper
and adequate health measures may
reduce the number required to three
beds per thousand.
Also to be considered is the
double -headed orge-poverty and
disease. Poverty causes sickness and
sickness will cause poverty. There
follow in their wake unsanitary
dwellings. filth, improper and in
sumcient food. In q city where
every one is well fed, housed and
clothed the hospital needs are rela-
lively small. These facts already