Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-12-28
Virginia Board Urges
S75O,0OO Fund 10 Aid
Needy in Hospital
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
RICHMOND, Dec 28.-Appropria-
ton Of $4,000 year by the Vir-
ginia General Assembly to meet half
the localities costs of hospitalizing
and treating INDECENT patients was
recommended yesterday by special
legislative commission.
Reporting that present State IA
cilities are either grossly inadequate
or are not being used for that pur-
pose" the commission headed by
Senator Lloyd C. Bird of Richmond
proposed that the appropriation be
made available to the State Board of
Health for ALLEGATION to the localities
on the basis of population. Eligible
ity of applicants for free hospitaliza-
ton or treatment would be deter
mined by the local governing bodies
or their designated agents.
This appropriation, recommended
for the ensuing biennium, would be
in lieu of appropriations made here
tofore to the hospital divisions of the
Medical College of Virginia and the
University of Virginia "for the free
treatment, care and maintenance Of
Virginia patients" The report said
that for the fiscal year 1856
s184,00o was appropriated for this
purpose to the Medical College al
Richmond and s25o,0o0 to the Uni.
versity of Virginia's hospital divi.
sion.
Urge Shift in U. S. Funds.
In addition, the commission rec.
commended that the State seel
amendment of the Federal public as
sistance laws to permit the use of ;
portion of Federal funds appropri
ated for aid to the aged and indigen
for institutional care, and the estab
lishment of an integrated system Q
public homes for the State on al
area basis -.. tz
Sharing in the study with Sena
tor Bird were Senator w. M. Min
ter, Mathews; Delegates E. w. Dodc
Buchanan; E. Dewey Coburn, Mar
rows, and w. Collin Chiffon, Xii
marnock; William B. Speck, Green
vile, and David Nelson Sutton, Yves
Point, both appointees of the Gov
ernor, and DR.. I. c. Riggin, Stat,
commissioner of health and ex-of
flcio member.
Under the proposed State-ais
program to the localities for hos
pitalization, it was advised that 10.
calities take into consideration a.
far as practical the facilities at the
two State medical colleges. How.
ever, the localities would be au.
thorized to contract with other hos
pitfalls for the care of INDECENT pa
tients, subject to approval of tn,
State Board of Health.
Step Toward Solution.
This plan, the commission said
would not completely solve tn,
problem of providing needed hospi.
tai care and facilities, but repre-
sents step in the right direction
and can be broadened as experienc,
indicates.
The study indicated, the grou]
reported, that not over 20 per cen
Of patients at the two State colles,
hospitals were free patients, which
the hospitals explained was becaus,
Of insufficient appropriations to car
for a larger proportion. The Medi
cal College of Virginia reported +,
profit of $4,000 from private pa
tients in 1884.
1T appears that the facilities pro
vided by the Commonwealth of Vir
ginia at public expense are bein
used primarily for the benefit o
persons able to pay their own hos
pital expenses" the report said.
Cost Exceeds S390,000.
1t was estimated that in 1914;
over $4,000 INDECENT and semi-indi
gent patients were treated in pri
vate or locally owned hospitals an,
the cost to the localities exceede,
$500, 900.
With reference to the care o
INDECENT persons suffering will
chronic illness and infirmities, tn
commission said that approximate,
5000 were being cared for IN pub
lie homes" during the last fisca
year, but that this group constituted
only a small percentage of the tota
number of such persons. There ar
SO homes operated by the local.
ties without State aid, having /,
value of approxims tely $1,000. 00I
and an annual operating cost of APP
proximately 100000.
1t was noted that one of the diff
culties experienced heretofore in oh
tanning treatment and hospitaliza
ton Of indigents was the poor dis
tribution Of hospital facilities ii
many parts of the State. The com
mission said it was obvious tina
neither Of the State college hospital
could hope to meet the hospita
needs Of indigents living in locali
ties far removed from them.
A T. AsI MIL