Evening star., 1941-03-06
National Health
Bureau Backed
By ANA. Head
DR.. Van Etten Sees
Greater Efficiency in
Research Under Bill

DR.. Nathan B. Van Etten, presi-
dent of the American Medical AS
ISOLATION, expressed his approval of
a national department of health,
proposed in a bill now pending be-
fore Congress, to members of the
Medical Society of the District of
Columbia last night and said he
would like to see the health author
ity a member of the Presidents
cabinet.
Describing the measure, intro
duced as the Pheiffer bill, as "a
first step" in the House toward CO.
ordination of the health functions
of the national Government, he eX-
pressed the view that joint action
of all Federal health agencies ex-
cept those of the Army and Navy
is a logical thing.
The health of our people should
be the honest concern of the Chief
Executive" he declared.
Suggests Several Bureaus.
Explaining that he personally de-
sired to see such a medical Setup
in America, DR.. Van Etten said he
would like this new department to
include the following bureaus:
Public health, infancy and ma
ternal welfare to be transferred from
the Labor Department, rehabilita-
ton of veterans, research, lcensure,
care of indigents and any other di-
visions to care for all other health
responsibilities, fusing all depart
ments into one less expensive to
operate and eliminating the con-
fusion of overlapping and duplica-
ton.
Sees Research Efficiency.
Addressing the society in its audi
torium at 17l8 M street NV. on
the subject of AN American Health
Program as Related to National
Defense" DR.. Van Etten said he be-
lieved the value of research studies,
appropriations for which now are
vested in the Bureaus of Public
Health and in appointed commit
tees, would be muc henhanced if they
were co-ordinated in a department
of health, where voluntary agencies,
such as medical schools, voluntary
hospitals and philanthropic foun-
dations could cooperate in directly
helpful service for the information
of the Government.
He said further that medical care
of indigency looms as one of the
most important functions of gov
ernment. A concert between local
agencies through some new type of
local, State and national machinery
could well be headed in a national
health department, he added.
The A. M. A. president cited that
the migrating INDECENT is one OF
those for whom no local agency is
willing to assume the responsibility,
that Is per cent of the 385 900 of
these people in California are suf-
fering from open tuberculosis and
that 2 per cent are active syphilitics.
There is no sickness insurance
scheme, he said. that can take care
of such individuals who make no
regular contribution to compulsory
or Government financing and that
their care must be centralized in
such an agency as the proposed
national health department.
Cites Tax-Supported Effort.
The speaker recalled that there
is evidence of concerted drive for
a general service to the sick, both
preventive and curative, supported
by taxation and under Government
control. He advised that a new
program must provide something
better and simpler than the fire.
quently reiterated desire for free
medical care patterned after free
public education, which already is
too costly for the public pocket" ="
He pointed to an attempt of this
kind made in New Zealand and re-
minded that the administration
now has confessed that it is unable
to carry out its contract.
'I believe that needs for help
should be discovered in the smallest
political subdivisions, but that Fed
eral authority should be called upon
as infrequently as possible" he
said.
Il believe that medical service
to the economic INDECENT and to
the medical INDECENT is the problem
of the taxpayer.
For Medical Profession
Administration.
"I believe that medical service
to these two classes of people should
be administered by the medical pro-
fession and that the physicians who
do this work should be paid by the
taxpayer.
Il believe that medical service to
other people of low income who are
able to pay for ordinary but not
for catastrophe illnesses should be
shared by the medical profession
and the taxpayer. The medical
profession and the taxpayer should
provide such needed medical service
in unsupported institutions either
free or at minimum rates.
ct believe that every effort should
be made to provide for the average
man so that he can prepare for
emergencies without throwing him
self upon the sources of charity"