The Phoenix index., 1940-09-28


important need in connection with
the health of the Negroes in Geor-
gia is the woeful lack of proper
disqualification. One can not think
in terms of hospitals, however,
without considering doctors, who in
this case are the Negro doctors of
Georgia, whose plight is by no
means favorable.
THE MEDICAL SCHOOL: 4-
Many of the best medical uni
versities still admit Negroes and
the two "a" rating Negro medical
schools, located at Washington, D.
c., and Nashville, Tenn. have ex-
cellent facilities and equipment for
the scientific study of medicine.
INTERNSHIP: .ee
Until five years ago it was a
problem to get internship for
young Negro doctors, but for the
last three years places have been
over-subscribed; in fact, we have
more internship places than we
have doctors to fill them. Quite a
few of the doctors are remaining
from two to five years after their
graduation, specializing in certain
branches of internal medicine and
surgery. :t
AFTER INTERNSHIP-
NO HOSPITALS
After the Negro doctor leaves the
school hospital then comes the
CLOSED door"-no hospital in which
to study his clinical cases. This
means, then, that he will have to
spend an enormous amount of
money and time taking refresher
courses in cities that will give him
the connections, otherwise he will
grow dull, stale, and backward.
The average Negro doctor does
not make enough money from his
practice to go off and study as he
should to keep abreast with the
advancing medical times; so his
greatest need is a place where he
can hoSpitalize both his private
and INDECENT patients and study
them alike. This will not only
make him better doctor but it will
give suffering humanity the ad-
vantage of his study. -.
The Negro population of Georgia
is approximately 1,25O,O0O. The
number of Negro doctors is ap-
proximately 225. The number of
hospital beds that are controlled
by Negro doctors is 143 From these
figures one would wonder why the
morbidity and mortality rates of
the Negro which are already too
high, are no higher. r.
Many a good Georgia doctor has
had to leave the state because of
the lack of hospital facilities in f,
which adequately to practice medi-
cine. The only Negro member of
the American College of Surgeons
is a Georgia boy who began the
practice of medicine in Atlanta.
Many other Georgians sre remain
ing out of the state because they
can not get hospital connections.
They are staying in cities where
they can have the privilege of hos
pital practice and our own Negro.
population of Georgia is suffering
GEORGIA NEEDS A
COMMUNITY HEALTH
CENTER IN ATLANTA
If we had in or near Atlanta a
community health center where
Negro doctors could get the benft
of clinical work we would note a
change in the mortality rate of the
state. Since Atlanta has the larg-
est Negro population of any other
community in the state, it would
be logical place for this COM
munity health center.
Out of this center, and under its
direction, there could be establish
ed all over the state supervised
health clinics. The local doctor of
each clinic could bring his patients
to this center and observe the con-
ditions with expert help. If this
dream is ever realized the morbidity
and mortality rates of the Negroes
in Georgia will fall like the walls
of Jericho"
Through these disseminated clin-
les various forms of heart diseases,
especially the hypertensive type;
early cancer, incirient tuberculosis,
and many other diseases may be
detected and brought to the COM
munity health center for diagnosis
as constant feeder, and thereby
rendering great service to the
Georgia Negro. -t
LACK OF HOSPITAL TRAINING
NOT DUE TO IMPROPER
TRAINING .t
One can not logically claim that
the group is denied hospital privi-
leges because of improved training
for when information is gathered
relative to the training of the
Negro physicians of Georgia, one
will find that the physicians are
graduates, not only from the two
"a" rating Negro medical schools:
Meharry Medical College, at Nash
vile, Tenn, and Howard Univer-
sity School of Medicine, at WASH
lngton, D. c.; but that they come
from the most outstanding Amer
icap and British institutions,
namely, Harvard University School
of Medicine, Yale University Med
ical college, University of Penn
Sylvania School of Medicine. Rush