The Phoenix index., 1940-03-30
Only 1000 Hospital Beds
Available For 100000
Urge Clauses
Be Inserted In
Federal Bill
By A. F.. WHITE

WASHINGTON, D. CLAMP
# Negroes are to gain any con-
Z; liberation in the execution OF the
1ewly proposed George1Wagner bill
hey will owe it to the most care
ul, scientific and logical presenta-
ions of just about as fine a groul
IS has ever appeared before any
enate committee conducting hear
ngs.
Included in the group were Dl
arl Roberts of Chicago of the Ma
ional Medical association; DR.. E
;. Carney of Detroit, president
le National Hospital associate
r. Paul " Cornelly of the Hoy
d University Medical school; ]
orothy Boulding Ferebee of
me institution and Charles
Fouston lawyer for the MACE.
ELL OF CONDITIONS
With Senator Murray of M
nt the lone representative of tn
ommittee which included Senat'
2obert A. Taft, Ellender of Louis.
ana, LaFollette of Wisconsin ano
Wagner of New York, the brilliant
arade of Negro witnesses related
n telling manner the problems OF
he Negro under existing health
onditions in the United States.
The proceedings started it, how
YER, when DR.. Morris Fishbein
udite and militant leader of the
American Medical association tolo
ne committee that if the truth
ere really known. the group which
cod more greatly in need of hos
italization and assistance in the
Inited States was the Negro group
"a minority OF 100000 people.
That DR.. Fishbein should make
his utterance was an indication OF
he cessation of long hostilities
which had smouldered between the
American Medical association and
the National Medical association.
1t boded good for both groups, the
white group which through ita
Southen members had sought tc
aid their colored professional
brethren earlier.
SUPPORT NINA BILL
And DR.. Roberts. testimony on
the stand indicated the support Of
the NINA for the bill, provided that
Negroes were given consideration
conforming with the practises and
customs of localities"
DR.. Roberts cited the history Of
the NINA and went into the prob
lens of Negro doctors, who when
taking patients to. the, majoi~y OF
hospitals had to leave their patients
at the door.
Among The telling points made by
DR.. Roberts were those showing
that in the entire United States
there are available for the entire
Negro population of the country
only 1000 beds, which means one
bed to every 1000 people compared
with a total Of 1,161, $50 beds fol
the remainder of the population.
NEGROES NOT ACCEPTED
While the bill is aimed at the
rural areas of the United States
there are similar problems in the
urban centers, for as DR.. Roberts
pointed out, the rural problems OF
Mississippi become the urban prob
lem of Chicago because of migra-
ton, and in Chicago, less than {?
per cent of the hospitals accept Ne
gro patients and 2 1-2 of these are
charity or teaching institutions and
the proper 1-2 per cent represents
Negro hospital"
Speaking of the Provident Hos
pital clinic, he says there are treat
ed 600 persons per day, with 145
beds available, representing the
third largest clinic in the City of
Chicago. And this same situation is
in other places,
E. R. Carney testified following
DR.. Roberts and told the committee
of the great need of disqualification