Evening star., 1943-09-25
Increase Sought
In Health Funds
For Virginia
Additional $685., 900
"A Yeur Asked
Because Of War
By the Associated Press.

by the Associated Press. '-5
RICHMOND, Va. Sept. 25.-Dr. I.
G. Riggin, State Health Commits
sioner, called on the Governors
Budget Advisory Committee yester-
day for a $385,000 yearly increase
in appropriations to re-infofce Vir-
ginia's public health defenses against
the threat Of increased disease.
Our records show that the trend:
OF diseases is upward in this state
very definitely upward" DR.. Riggin
told Gov. Darden and his budget
advisers.
tuberculosis Is increasing, the in
PRODUCTION of new diseases from
other parts Of the world is appar-
emily unavoidable, and the poten-
tial danger of epidemics is great,
the health commissioner said.
II Virginia should have an epi-
demic Of infantile paralysis, like
some that have broken out recently
IN other sections of the country"
it would cost the state more money
than this whole budget he de-
clared.
Staff Shortage Cited,
The menace pictured by DR.. Rig.
GIN had another edge-in the face
OF increased duties because of the
war and in spite of the worsenine
disease prospects, the department
has had to make out with a dwin-
ding staff Of doctors, sanitary engi-
neerS and health officers.
It was DR.. Higgins plaint-and
one already familiar to the budget
advisers from the pleadings of other
State oficials in this weeks budget
hearings-that the State must pav
better salaries if the proper level
OF health services is to be reached
and maintained.
The health departments requests
were for approximately sl.240 600
yearly from the States general fund
An additional $1,16o, 600 would come
from Federal sources. This wear
Dr. RIggin said, the State has spent
about $l.50 of Federal money to
every 81 furnished by the State.
Asking for bigger allotnaents to
local health work, DR.. Ripein
pointed out that the number of
neaith officers had shrunk from "a
TO 10. OF 26 who left, only 10
Went into the armed forces and the
remainder went to better-pavine
jobs, he said. In some cases per.
sonnel supplied by the United States
Public Health Service are work
ing under direction of State health
omclals who receive salaries con-
siderably lower than the Federa1
people under them, he added
lT- Clinics Lack Funds.
ine States tuberculosis preyen-
tion' work with two mobile eiagnostic
clinics faces complete bfeakdoWn
he WArned, unless sufficient "A laries
aret authorized to ohtstn piiysicians
e e arect them. The physicians
lops are vacant now,f he said : and,
unless they are filled the mobile
Clinics Will have to be stopped. The
result, he. said, will be more bad.
cases Of tuberculosis and a greater
ioad on the State sanatoria. r. !
An item Of $4,000 for MOSQUITO
control was stressed by Dr.. Riegin
as imperative. Virginia has every
type OF disease-carrying MOSQUITO
ne said, and these must be fought
TO forestall the spread of new
diseases and familiar fevers brought
from the tropics and elsewhere bv
wartime movements.
Other increases sought bv DR. Rip-
gin were for an expanded immuni-
zat1on program, to checkmate dinh-
theria, typhoid and smallpox: s22 0oo
extra Tor crippled childrens services
Tor which there is now a waiting LIST
OF l4o; to provide more employees and
space for the overtaxed Bureau of
vital Statistics. swamped by war
TIME inquiries; to augment veneresl
disease control-"venerea disease is
not decreasing-we1l be satisfied if
we can hold venereal disease sta
tionary." and for funds to help han
ole the federally financed maternal
child welfare and disqualification of
servicen1en's families program
DR.. w. T. Graham. .president Of
the State Board of Health, asked the
Budget Commission to amend the
requests by providing a salary raise
Tor DR.. Riggin from $500 to $40 0o0
a year. 0'''o