Evening star., 1945-07-16
NearbyCounties
Deny Dumping
Disease Cases
Reply to Rutland
Defends CoIIs Upon
District HospitoIs

Denials that Washington hos
pitals are being used as a dump
ing ground" for communicable dis
eases by nearby counties today came
from officials in Prince Georges
County in Maryland, and also from
Arlington County, Va.
Taking issue with a charge by
District Health Officer DR.. George
G. Ruhland, Karl York, administra-
tor of the Arlington Hospital, said
the main thing is to provide as
much protection for the public as
possible, adding that the nearby
counties are a part of the greater
Metropolitan Area.
William A. Carson, president of
the Prince Georges County Board
of Commissioners and head of the
board of directors of the Prince
Georges General Hospital at Chew
erly, pointed out that residents of
the Maryland county regularly con-
tribute to the District Community
War Fund and therefore have a
right to use the Districts facilities.
Hanrahan Makes Statement.
Arlington County Manager Frank
G. Hanrahan said Arlington County
is willing to handle as much as it
can, but doesn't feel that it has the
facilities to handle everything, par
ticularly since wartime had brought
such responsibility as the thousands
of girls in Arlington Farms and also
the employees at Arlington Hall"
He said these girls were more of
a Federal responsibility than local
one. He pointed out, however, that
Arlington and the State of Virginia
were having to accept some of the
responsibility. AS an instance, he
said, last Saturday two mental cases
were taken to the hospital in Staun-
ton, Va, and another had been sent
there previously.
Cites Construction Provision.
Mr.. York said that when the Fed
eral Works Agency provided funds
for the construction Of suburban
hospitals in 1914 1t was done because
these areas were considered part
of the Metropolitan Area.
81 don't see how we suddenly
can divorce our thinking from this
fact" he said. 'It seems to me,
without evaluating all circumstances,
that DR.. Ruhland's statement is a
little abrupt. If he can come out
and demonstrate how we can use
any other procedure, we will be glad
to do it,"
Mr.. York said the Arlington Hos
pital always will accept emergency
cases, and will accept the bulbar
type of police because the hospital
is equipped with an iron lung.
The hospital, however, cannot
open its doors to everything, he
added, because of the lack of facili-
ties. He said the hospital now needs
a wing or building for mental cases,
tuberculosis and other communi-
cable diseases.
Scarcity of Hospital Beds.
Although hospital should have
five beds for every 1000 population,
according to American Hospital As
sociation standards, Mr.. York said
the county institution now has
los beds-one- sixth the number
needed, with county population esti-
mates conservatively ranging around
125,000.
Since it was opened on March IS,
1914, the hospital has had a record
of almost complete occupancy, with
service demands on a steadily rising
scale
Commenting on the hospitals
functions, he said it has a tire
mendous emergency service" Stat
ing there were over 300 such cases
last month, he added this demand
has been going up every month
since I've been here"