Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-03

Board in its efforts to solve the Dis
trict's hospital bed shortage without
new construction.
May Shelve Construction.
The outcome OF Tuesdays con-
ference may be the shelving of a
considerable portion of the 1859, ITO
hospital program set up by the Fed
eral Works Agency on recommended
ton Of, and following survey by
the United States Public Health
Service. Actual construction has
been started on only one Of the Is
projects involved - the 150-bed
obstetrical ward addition at GAL
nnger Hospital, which now is ap-
proximately so per cent complete.
Not all Of the project applications
for priorities have been forwarded
to the WPB by FWA. Some still
are held up at the works agency for
engineering specifications to be
completed, it is understood. The
last to be sent, according to Mr..
Mavericks report to the Senate
District Committee, was that for a
new nurses home and inferno and
clinic building at Georgetown Uni
versity, received by the WPB De-
cember 10.
While Tuesdays session is sup
posed to be devoted to the entire
hospital situation, special considera-
ton is expected to be given Sibley
and Georgetown Hospital projects.
They provide for the erection Of
nurses homes so that present quar-
tiers for nurses can be used as hos
pital bed space. Senator McCarran
said yesterday he thought construc-
ton should be approved in these
instances because the new buildings
would release space for beds which
could be used permanently.
Arrangements Begun.
Both Sibley and Georgetown, it
was learned at the committee hear
ing, already had begun arrange
ments for construction work to be
started before the WPB in Novem-
Der postponed all priority rulings
until two hospital consultants could
make a new survey OF the bed
shortage. The study is based on the
belief that many additional beds
could be set up in space already
available in the city.
Paul B. Cromelin, chairman of the
Sibley Hospital Board, told the COM
mlttee that his institution is losing
$3.50 a month in rent because it
had followed FWA instructions to
vacate six dwellings owned by the
hospital which were to be converted
into nurses quarters. The proposed
Improvements would provide So
new beds.
At Georgetown, two small brick
structures, one of which formerly
housed the morgue, were torn down
in preparation for construction OF
the new nurses home. It would
replace existing nurses quarters,
which were to be converted into
space suitable for Isl beds. AS a
result of this cooperative step,
according to the Rev. David B.
McCauly, speaking for the hospital,
it has become necessary to use part
Of the nurses recreation room as
morgue.
To Discuss Conversion.
In his statement to the Senate
committee, Mr.. Maverick said he
had been informed by the hospital
conSultants who made the WPB
survey that 745 beds could be
placed in general hospitals without
any construction and 172 beds with
minor construction. This report is
expected to serve as q guide around
which will be built the discussion
at Tuesdays meeting.
Another important subject will be
the proposal that the old hospital
for tubercular patients at Fourteenth
and Upshur streets NV. be con-
verted into a hospital for obstetrical
cases. Funds for reopening Of the
institution, closed after construc-
ton of the new plant at Glenn
Dale, already have been provided by
Congress.
1t has been suggested to the Com
missioners, and concurred in by Mr..
Maverick, that the tubercular pa
tients who are scheduled to be cared
for in the reopened hospital be
shifted instead to Glenn Dale, where
additional space Is available. This
proposal could be carried out, adj
vocates explained, with only minor
construction.
DR.. Daniel L. Finucane, superin-
tendent of Glenn Dale Sanatorium,
informed the Senate Committee that