Evening star., 1945-09-13
Health Budget
Of $7,826,468
SET for 1947
Requests Are z Million
Over 1916 Total; ! 900
More Aides Sought
By CAMBRIDGE CRIST

tional personnel to expand health
and hospital services in the District
are contained in $7,826, ,468 Health
budget for 1947 made
public today by the Commissioners.
Although the estimates are more
than $4,000 900 in excess of the 1916
appropriation of IS 5,644, 200, they do
not include estimates for a hospital
construction program, the cost OF
which has not been announced. A
construction and planning program
will be added to the 1947 requests,
health officials said
Since the 1916 fiscal year appro-
priation figure includes capital out
lay expenses, the more than $780,
900 requested so far for 1947 repre-
sents jump in operating costs OF
more than S3,000,000
Health Officer George C. Rutland.
who conferred yesterday with Com
missioner Guy Mason on the budget
requests which we're due August II,
said the program might include con-
struction of a psychiatric building
at Gallinger Municipal Hospital.
May Seek Planning Fund.
In addition, it was indicated sup
Elemental requests might be made
for planning a 400-bed unit and
warehouse at Glenn Dale Sana-
torium Planning money also VIII
be required for developing health
clinics, including two in Anacostia.
Plans were completed before the war
for a Northeast health clinic at the
site of the Polk School and some
money is available for construction.
Health officials have asked for 172
new employees for the expansion Of
mental hygiene, dental, nursing and
clinical services. sanitary inspection
and other departmental work. More
than 200 additional employees are
sought at Glenn Dale Sanatorium
and more than $40 new employees
are asked for Gallinger Municipal
Hospital and Upshur Street Hos
pital with more than half of the
increases accounted for by strength
ening of nursing staffs
The budget requested for the
Health Department, exclusive OF
municipal hospitals, is s2,02052l,
compared with the current appro-
priation of s1,340000 Glenn Dale
Sanatorium has asked for s1,717,8OC,
almost 100000 over the s1,080o00
appropriation of 1916. Practically
doubling its budget estimates over
current appropria tions, Gauinger
and Upshur Street Hospitals have
recommended s3488,447 for 1947.
compared with s178S,0 ZOO this year.
Personnel Increases Sought.
Major personnel increases sought
by Gallinger are SO domestic at
tendants, 50 maintenance workers.
76 nurses for the obstetrical nur-
sery, 90 nurses, nursing assistants
and attendants for the pediatrics
department; 81 nurses, nursing as
sistants and attendants for the iso-
lation section; 36 hospital attend
ants and II nurses for psychiatric
wards and five nurses for UpShur
Street
Glenn Dale Sanatorium is also
seeking to strengthen its service
staffs by adding 81 kitchen workers,
a principal medical officer, two
medical officers, a psychiatrist, two
medical social case workers, % main
tenance workers, and by increasing
its authorized nursing staff from
II to 167.
The Glenn Dale budget includes
s67 900 for repainting its buildings
and s2l 900 for 400 beds to complete
the program for new beds at the
institution.
The cost of service by the Mental
Hygiene Bureau, which now has only
a volunteer doctor for work with
alcoholics, would be raised from
s29 900 to $4,000. In addition to
the present authorized personnel OF
director, psychiatrist, tour psy-
chiatric social workers and two
clerks, the new budget seeks to add
psychiatrist and assistant psy-
chiatrist for the alcoholic clinic. a
psychologist. a social worker and
two more clerks.
To expand dental services. the de-
partment has asked for a dentist. s
chief dental hygienist, a dental
hygienist and II dental assistant
technicians A full-time assistant
medical director, at $3.50 a year. Is
sought for the Maternal and Child
Welfare Bureau The bureau also
wants eight new attending physi-
clans, 10 clinical aides and four
maids.
Hearing Specialist Urged.
The school medical inspection serv-
ice has requested a hearing specialist
at $3.50 a year to carry out hear
Ing conservation program" medical
social worker and four audimeter
technlcians.
Five men, to be known as Venereal
disease field services workers, have
been recommended for the Venereal
Disease Bureau. 1t is proposed to
add a public health engineer, an
entomologist and eight sanitary in
spectors, in addition to clerks and
laborers, to the Bureau of Public
Health Engineering, formerly known
as the Sanitary Inspection Bureau
The 1946 appropriation of $39 ,948
for the housekeeping assistance
program again was recommended
for 1947. The new budget includes
$4,000 for the vaccination of dogs,
also IL veterinarians for the rabies
immunization program
Meanwhile, the Commissioners
also released the requests of the,
Police and Fire Departments for
their 1947 budgets. The Police De-
partment has asked for $5,152500,
compared with the 1916 appropria-
ton of 1885 900, and the Fire De-
partment has recommended $3,154,-
OBS for next year, about $500 900
over the $2,540,O0O appropriated this
year.
Of the increase in the police
budget, $960,755 is accounted for by
a recent pay raise bill and sl05, 900
is sought for new precinct station
at Forty-second street and Benning
road NE. in order to split the IT'S
square miles of territory now COW
cred by the 11th precinct. With
the ending of the war police off,
cials said they hoped to bring the
department to the full authorized
strength of S36 men