Evening star., 1943-09-14

Describe Conditions
Leading to Request
For Investigation
Personal interviews with a con.
siderable number of patients in the
tuberculosis ward of Gallingel
Municipal Hospital disclosed today
widespread complaints about the
food and sanitary conditions, which
impelled 149 of the 800 tuberculosis
patients to sign petition of pro-
test made public yesterday by Chair
man McCarran of the Senate Dis
trict Committee.
On the basis of the petition and
corroborating evidence that had
reached him, Senator McCarran
meanwhile, introduced a resolution
calling for congressional investi-
CATION of the entire hospital.
Nearly so patients on various
floors OF the tuberculosis building
men and women, white and colored
were interviewed. They all COM
planned the food was badly prepared
lacked variety and sometimes was
infested with reaches and other
bugs. Most of these patients signed
the petition.
Inquiry Welcomed.
DR.. Edgar A. Bocock, superintend-
ent of Gallinger, made only this
comment: ~.
Il would consider it inappropriate
to comment In detail on a matter
about to undergo a congressional in
vestigation, but the hospital well
comes any inquiries that can cure or
even improve wartime shortages, de-
lays, insuperable handicaps or the
results of existing community chaos
that are now influencing institu-
tional operations"
While DIR. Bocock, who wrote out
his brief statement, made no fur
ther comment, elsewhere in the hos
pital 1t was pointed out that the
preparation of food never would be
entirely satisfactory until the hos
pital resolved greatly improved
kitchen facilities.
Equipment Held Inadequate.
1t was explained that at present
there is only one kitchen for more
than 1000 patients and it was built
indS29 when the hospital was much
smaller. It is necessary to cook all
the food, except for certain special
dishes, in this kitchen and send it
around to the various buildings,
which makes it difIicult to keep
meals hot and .palatable.
Last year the hospital received an
appropriation for several new kitch-
ems, but the War Production Board
refused priority on the necessary
equipment.
Some patients in the tuberculosis
ward complained they were not get
ting enough milk. Every patient
in the ward gets at least one quart
day, according to standing instruc-
tions. The iceboxes in the ward
were filled with quart milk bottles
when a reporter visited the building.
Complained Of Seeing Bodies.
Another complaint was that bodies
OF persons who have died in any
section of the hospital were carried
up hill on wheel stretchers. within
full view of patients in the tuber-
culosis ward This practice was dis
continued a week ago, according to
authoritative information, and
bodies now are carried on a truck.
Senator McCarran said yesterday
the primary purpose of his inquiry
will be to sift charges that the food
served at the hospital is inferior in
quality, improperly prepared and
limited in quantity.
The patients, In their petition
said they had been served meat
which smells and tasts high" rice
that is frequently "gummy" or else
dry and underdone, fruits that are
not suficiently washed, and beans
that are usually so hard they can
not be crushed with a fork.
Complaints also were made about
the apparent lack of ordinary
cleanliness" - dirty walls, screens
/ and windows, cockroaches and even
bed bugs and fleas-and "sickening'
conditions in the toilets and bath
rooms.
Senator's Aide Tells Of Visit.
Senator McCarrans attention was
called to the alleged conditions at
Gallinger by r. A. Seeling, secretary
to Senator Bone, Democrat, OF
Washington, who visited the hospi-
tai and made a report on his obser-
vations. He said he went there to
see Oscar Svarlein, who came to
this country from Norway and was
working as translator at the Lii
brary of Congress when it was dis
covered he had tuberculosis and was
sent to, Gallinger for treatment.
Il visited Mr.. Svarlein," said the
report, land found out from him
that the food is so poor patients
rapidly lose weight unless they get
good food from the outside; that no
effort is made to feed patients who
are too weak to help themselves, so
they just keep going down, and die
of starvation as much as TB; that
no effort is made to keep patients at
rest: that medical care is given
grudgingly. Mr.. Svarlein decided
he could not possibly recover his
health at Gallinger; and being more
fortunate than many who are there
in that he had some place else to
60, he transferred on August 27 to
Western North Carolina Sanator.
ium.. Black Mountain, N. c."
Mr.. Seeing said that Mrs. Fred
Stell, 2402 Twenty first place NE, q
Red Cross worker, had spent l01
hours a month helping patients in
the TB ward. and that she circulated
the petition Of protest which out
lined "the views Of the patients that
they are not being helped to get
well"