Evening star., 1943-01-24

is definite need for adequate plan
ming to provide self-supporting hos
pitals throughout the city of Wash
ington."
The plan seeks appropriation in
the budget estimates of the District
for immediate purchase of sites and
drawing plans for the hospitals, each
OF which would have 500 beds.
Because of the extreme shortage
of medical equipment, due to the
war, the committee has taken long
range view in its general plan to
solve the permanent needs of the
community" the report declared.
Medical Clinics Proposed.
To meet wartime needs, the COM
nittee proposed that medical clinics
be set up throughout the Southeast
areas and other sections similar to
the public health clinic now in
operation in the Southwest section
Much of this type of medical serv-
Ice will aid greatly in the prevention
Of epidemics which threaten Wash
ington due to its climate, the fuel
Z.
Because of the lack of general
hospital facilities In the Southeast
section of the city east of the Ana
costa River, the plan proposes that
the first hospital be built In that
area. 1t Is planned to have con-
struction begin on one hospital each
year after the Southeast hospital is
started and continue until the pro-
gram is completed, the order of con-
struction depending upon need. All
four hospitals would be built on high
ground on outer edges of the city.
The report states that the hos
pitfalls would be operated on a self
supporting basis by the funds re-
ceived from patients, and that any
surplus would be returned to the
general budget after proper sinking
funds have been provided for MAIN
tenance, depreciation and future ex-
pansion.
Medical supervision of the hos
pitfalls would be under the local
Health Department. Public policy
and fiscal affairs would be handled
by board Of directors, composed of
two recognized public leaders and
one leading physician from each OF
the four sections of Washington and
will have as chairman the chairman
of the Board of Commissioners"
Five Ambulances for Each.
The report proposes that the hos
pitfalls would be OF the general type
with clinics. Adequate facilities for
doctors and nurses homes would be
provided and each hospital would
have at least five ambulances.
"It is planned" the committee
said, that accommodation will be
provided for the medium and low
income groups who can afford to pay
for reasonable disqualification. No
effort is to be made to obtain expen-
sive accommodations as there Is no
desire to compete with private hos
pitfalls. Provisions for the INDECENT
will be made on only temporary
basis until such cases can be re-
moved to Gallinger Hospital.
On the controversial issue of So
cialization of medicine, the report
argued that the public hospitals
proposed are not part of a program
toward the Specialization of medicine
or to eliminate or take over private
hospitals. The only thought behind
providing the type of hospitals sug-
gested is purely humanitarian"
The committee report contained
this blunt criticism:
TOO often in the City of Washing
ton people are deprived of medical
attention until it can be ascertained
whether or not they have sufficient
funds to pay their way In private
hospital or will have to be commit
ted to the INDECENT ward. There are
many cases of record where acci-
dent victims have been taken from
hospital door to hospital door before
they have been admitted. In other
cases victims have lain on the streets
of Washington for a considerable
length of time before an ambulance
could be located to transport them
| to hospital"
The committee suggested that
each hospital have at least 100 of
the 500 beds for the use of colored
patients. The ratio, it was added,
might vary in relation to the density
of the colored population in the
various sections.
In addition to Mr.. Decknan. the
committee members were Francis j.
Burns, C. A. Parker, T. Paul Mudd
and Ell Busada.