Evening star., 1944-08-17
Paid Helpers
Sought ioG|ive'
Polio Treatment
Health Department
To Confine coses to
ChiIdren's, GoIIinaer

b4SSvAk4SAAef
infanttle paralysis, the Health. d.
partment yesterday called for '1sy
paid helpers" TO be trained In .this
treatment at Children's and oAls
nnser Hospitals.
: While Gallipser Will confine Il.
seh to District cases and Childrefi's
70 care OF cases from nearby Mary.
land and Virginia counties, It was
agreed that tn certain instances
outside cases could 90 to 0ailingsr.
Such an exception would be older
persons. ineligible for Children'S.
Decided at Conference.
The Health Department made it,
statement after conference Of
Health Odicer George G. Ruhland
with hospital ofncials, representa-.
tiyes Of the Red Cross. Infantile
Paralysis Foundation and the Chil-
dren's Bureau. Prior to the meet
ing, DR.. Rutland had conferred Z,
with Commissioner Guy Mason on
the admission Of out-of-town cases
to Gallinger.
1t was decided at the meeting
that all cases would be confined to
Gallinger and Children's and not
scattered throughout the city. The
majority Of cases 10 far have been
at Children's.
OF the SO patients treated tu
Washington since July l, IS wsro
reported within the last 20 days,
On this basis, the department. said.
1t felt provision should be made for
hospital treatment and care Of 80
to Is cases per month. .E.
While 1t Is not certain that the
outbreak will continue at the pres.
ent rate, the department said It was
agreed that plans should be made
to provide hospital beds and per.
sonnel for at least 200 patients, the
expected load between now ana oc.
tober. -,
Financial AA Promised.
The District tnfantile paralysis
chapter Of the national foundation
has agreed to pay travelling expenses
ana arrange housing for special
nurses brought IN from other cities.
and the Children's Bureau report.
ed that special nursing assistance
would be provided by their agency,
Red Cross representatives also gave
assurances Of support.
Ch1ldren's nursing service Is ~'rea.
sonably adequate" but It k re.
ported nearing the limit Of its bed
capacity, although It can be ex.
panded to provide for perhaps 30
more patients. Gallinser has ade.
quate beds to meet the expected
case load, but Is short OF nursing
service.
! In addition to DR.. Ruhland. those
attending included DR.. Daniel L.
seckinger, acting superintendent Of
Ganinger; Or. James q. Cumminx.
head Of the Bureau OF Preventabie
Diseases; DR.. Ella Oppenheimsr.
director Of the Maternal and Child
Health Bureau Of the department;
Mrs. Josephine p. Prescott, direc.
tor OF the Bureau Of Public Health
Nursing; Arthur Lesser, regional
medical consultant Of the Childrens
Bureau; Otto Lund, manager OF the
District Red Cross; @. =. McGin.
mes, medical director Of the Ma.
tional Red Gross, and Juelge Fay
Bentley, chairman Of the local chap.
ter OF the national foundation.
Two Women Stricken.
Two colored women, IS and q
years OF age, were among the SIX
new cases Of infantile paralysis. re.
ported during the last a. hours tn
the Metropolitan Area, according to
the Health Department.
Most Of the cases since the July I
outbreak Of the disease have been
those Of children under 10 years OF
age. with the single exception of ono
person 80 years old.
The six new cases, which were
taken to Children's and Gallinger
Hospitals, three to each institution.
brought the total since July l for
the Metropolitan Area up to rs.
One Of the six was from Glen Echo
Heights, Nd, while the other iiyS
were from the District.