Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-06
McCarran Fears WPB
May Exceed Safety
Limit in Hospital Plan
Fire, Flood Emergencies
Should Be Considered,
Committee Head Says

SS''tNSS siSo0 SOyS
In the face of announcement that
yesterdays hospital conference had
resulted in granting of priorities to
only two of the IA remaining ex-
pansion projects, Chairman McCar-
ran of the Senate District Commit
tee expressed fear today that War
Production Board officials may go
beyond the limits of safety in at
tempting to increase bed capacity
of existing buildings.
The projects for which the way
was opened by WPB provide for %
additional beds at Georgetown Hos
pital and for remodeling of Chill
drens Hospital to enlarge the wait
ing room and admission desk area.
Senator McCarran already has ex-
pressed accord with WPBS efforts
to supply needed hospital beds in
the District with as little new con-
struction as possible. His comment
on the subject today was in the ma
ture OF a caution that, in arriving
at the goal, careful attention should
be given to the possibility of other
emergencies than disease epidemlcs.
Emergency Provisions Needed.
There is one matter that should
be brought to the attention of pub
lie officials ne said, land that is
that in any hospital a moderate
amount of space-l0 per cent per
100 square feet-should be allowed
to provide for such emergencies as
fire. flood or other disaster.
1T appears to me that both Mr..
Maverick (Maury Maverick, direc-
tor of the WIPES Governmental
Division) and Mr.. Jones Everett
w. Jones, WPB hospital consultan)
propose to take up all of that space.
1t would be most unWise, and hope
it will not meet with official APP
prevail"
The senator reiterated that, with
small amount of temporary con-
struction for nurses quarters,
nearly 200 additional beds for pa
tients could be placed in space in
which nurses now are quartered
at Georgetown and Sibley Hospitals.
A report on yesterdays meeting
of Federal, District and hospital Off
Gals was scheduled to have been
given the Senate District Commit
Tee today. but Chairman McCarran
decided to delay calling the body
together because of Congress OPEN
ing.
The conference, presided over by
Mr.. Maverick and described by a
WPB spokesman as "a good meet
ing" was reported to have resulted
IN agreement among the conferees
that additional hospital beds needed
here to meet the present emergency
could be supplied with a minimum
Of construction.
Matters still remaining to be
cleared up were assigned to particu-
lar members of the group, with in
structions to carry on rapid and
minute" study. Among these was
the venereal disease phase of the
program. which all along has threat
ened to become contentious point
between WPB, Federal Works
Agency and public health officials.
Obstetrical Wards Sought.
Need for additional obstetrical
wards was still another important
topic of discussion. The WPB
spokesman said the conferees were
in accord that the peak of the birth
rate increase in Washington had
been reached and that a decline
soon would be noticed, opening the
way for the shortage of maternity
beds to be met without constructing
new buildings.
The District was represented at
the session by Commissioner Guy
Mason, champion of the hospital
expansion program. Other agencies
represented were the Federal Works
Agency, District Health Department,
trustees and superintendent of local
hospitals, District Medical Society,
United States Public Health Service
and local medical schools.
The Georgetown project finally
given approval, according to the re-
port on yesterdays meeting, rep
resents a major reduction from the
original FWA application. This called
for addition of ISL beds, to be
brought about by vacating existing
nurses quarters, constructing new
three story nurses home and COM
bined two-story internes' quarters
and basement clinic, and renovating
the old Therkeld school into a nurses
training school and nurses recrea-
ton center. Only the last of these
was given priorities.
After the conference, DR.. George
c. Rutland, District health officer,
revealed that his department is
seriously considering establishment
of a training class for obstetrical
nurses, or midwives, to relieve the
pressure on doctors and hospitals.
He explained that many babies could
be delivered at home by these nurses,
provided preliminary examination by
physicians disclosed it would be safe.
Such plan, he said, already has
been used successfully in many parts
of this country, and in several
foreign counties.
This has been tried with good
results In rural sections. particu-
larry In Kentucky" he recalled. Il