Evening star., 1943-09-15
Mason Pledges
Steps 70 Remedy
Hospital Plants
GoIIinger Officials
Ready to Welcome
Any Formal Probe


Any Formal Probe
Assurances that "all possible steps
would be taken to improve food
service and sanitary conditions in
the tuberculosis wing of Gallinger
Municipal Hospital were given to-
day by Commissioner Guy Mason
after he studied reports on COM
plants and operation difficulties.
Meanwhile, members of the Sen
ate District Committee were to
meet this morning in executive
session to consider ordering an in
vestigation by the committee of the
entire hospital, as proposed in a
resolution introduced yesterday by
Chairman McCarran.
The Commissioners and hospital
officials said yesterday they would
welcome" formal investigation
by the committee, if it saw fit to
order one
Commissioner Mason announced
instructions already had been given
to health and hospital officials to
correct at once any conditions that
can be cured now" He added:
There is no excuse for weevils or
reaches or filth
For more permanent correction,
he indicated the commissioners
would continue their fight for pri-
critics to permit enlargement of the
hospital kitchen. Hospital officials
had explained the kitchen had been
constructed and equipped to feed
300 patients and that the hospital
now has between 1,4O0 and $500
patients.
Congress approved appropriations
during the past fiscal year for en-
largement of the hospital kitchen
but so far the Commissioners have
been unable to obtain sufficiently
high prioritieS from the WPB to
do the work.
Interview Patients.
Partial support for complaints
against food and insanitation in
the tuberculosis wing, as recited in
petition signed by 149 of the 300
patients there, was found yester-
day by Charles Stofberg and Miss
Anne w. Davidge, administrative
aides to Commissioners Young and
Mason. After interviewing a num-
ber of patients and hospital officials,
they reported:
Generally speaking, there is some
justification for. the complaints re-
garding the dietary, cleanliness and
service at the hospital. This is due
to large extent to the shortage of
help, rationed food products and
other factors incident to the war"
DR.. Edgar A. Bocock, hospital su-
perintendent, was quoted as saying
the complaints apparently were
brought about by the following "dif-
ficulties': 1.-The tuberculosis pa
tient who is confined to bed for a
prolonged period is oftimes critical
and hard to please; 2-there exists
a shortage of employees, and the type
of employees obtainable compares
unfavorably with those savailahle in
normal times specifically, he said
there were 16 vacancies among the
custodian force and 81 vacancies
among nurses for the hospital as
whole; 3-deliveries of food prod
ucts are not up to par; 4-the in
ability (of the hospital) to obtain
beef and poultry; and Slack of
adequate food storage facilities in
the main kitchen.
DR.. Bocock denied that any patient
has suffered 'at any time due to
lack of food. He agreed substitute
foods had to be used "in many in
stances" because the hospital could
not always get what it ordered, but
insisted the food always was prop
erly prepared, was palatable and
contained the proper Ingredient"
to promote the health of patients.
DR.. Bocock also denied any pa
tient was deprived OF milk at any
time, but told the Commissioners
aides there was shortage of dishes
at the hospital, that despite urgent
cooperative efforts by the District
Purchasing Office the hospital so far
had received but a relatively small
amount of large orders placed last
May 8 for extra cups, bowls, plates
and saucers.
DR.. Charles Powell Cake, chief
resident physician for tuberculosis,
declared the corridors and rooms
and the bathrooms were cleaned
once each day: that the linens on
the beds, as we'll as the towels, were
changed twice week.
" Blames Other Patients.
One of the patients interviewed
by Mr.. Stofberg and Miss Davidge
insisted the bathrooms were dirty
at times" but that this was due
largely to the patients themselves"
Another patient complained she had
paid an orderly on three occasions
to wash the ring off the tub"
DR.. Cake explained that only
patients who are well enough"
were permitted to bathe themselves
and that it was the duty of these
to wash out their own tubs. Other
patients are bathed by hospital
attendants.
The charge of some patients that
sometimes they found weevils or
worms in cereal and reaches in
other food was denied by the
dietitian. The latter admitted, -
the Commissioners investigators
said. that some of the cereals sup
plies in the kitchen had been found
to have Weevils, but that the
dietitian declared none of such
quantities was served.