Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-05-10
0CD Organizes
Civilian Doctors
For Emergency
Army Affiliated
Units to Serve 200
Coastal Hospitals

Use of civilian doctors in War De-
partment hospitals, where the sud-
den influx Of war casualties or some
other military emergency taxes
Army personnel, was announced by
the Office of Civilian Defense today.
The physicians to be used, OCD
Director James M. Lands explained,
are those in affiliated hospital
units" which have been organized by
OCD and the United States Public
Health Service in coastal areas and,
at the request of the War Depart
ment, will be expanded now to in
clude more than 200 hospitals
throughout the country.
Five Units Here Invited
In Washington, five medical or
CARNATIONS have been invited by the
OCD to form affiliated hospital
units. They are Georgetown Uni
versity School of Medicine, George
Washington University School of
Medicine, Howard University COL
lege of Medicine, Gallinger Hospi-
tai and Garfield Hospital.
Should there be a sudden influx
OF battle front casualties, or some
other extraordinary military neces-
slty, requiring hospitals and physi-
clans beyond the immediate capacity
OF the Army in any particular local
lty, Mr.. Lands said, the arrange
ment which has just been completed
Will serve the double purpose of re-
llevlng the Army of the necessity
for organizing its own special groups
OF physicians for local emergencies
and of helping to conserve the
dWindling supply of physicians for
the civilian population"
Physicians accepted for service
with the affiliated hospital units re-
ceive reserve commissions in the
Public Health Service but will be
summoned to active duty by the
Surgeon General of the Army only
at the call of OCD, Mr.. Lands said.
Emergency Duty Only.
When a unit is needed, either to
staff an OCD emergency base hos
pital or to assist the Army Tempo
rarily in a military emergency, Mr..
Lands said, the physicians of the
unit will be placed on active duty
for the duration of that particular
emergency. and will receive the pay
and allowances of medical officers of
equivalent rank in the Army. They
will return to inactive status as soon
as they can be replaced by Army
medical officers.
The civilian defense function Of
the affiliated hospital units. Mr..
Lands explained, is to provide
emergency stats for temporary hos
pitfalls set up in relatively safe in
terror areas of coastal States, in
case patients in target area hos
pitfalls must be moved because of
air raids or other coastal disasters.
OCD-affiliated units, it was said,
will be used for military emergency
purposes only in or. near the COM
| munities in which the staff resides.
Their duty will be temporary and
they will be replaced by Regular
Army officers as quickly as the Sur
geon General of the Army can make
the necessary assignments.
Is Doctors to Unit.
Each of the units consists of IS
doctors normally associated with a
single hospital. The doctors include
a chief and assistant chief of med
ical services, two general internists,
chief and assistant chief of sur
gical services. four general surgeons,
two orthopedic surgeons, one dental
surgeon, one pathologist and one
radiologist.
Nurses are also being appointed
in the Public Health Service in an
inactive status so that they can be
called on for temporary service in
emergency situations.
So that formation of OCD units
will not conflict with regular mill
tary procurement of physicians, Mr..
Lands said, applications for Reserve
commissions in the units will be
accepted only from physicians IS
years OF age and over, women ply
sicians. physicians of any age who
are physically disqualified for mill
tary duty and those already declared
by the War Manpower Commission
procurement and Assignment Serv-
ice to be essential for civilian needs.