Evening star., 1945-07-16
.NearbyCounties
Deny Dumping
Disease Cases
Reply to RuhIund
Defends Coils Upon
District Hospitals

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 charge by
District Health Officer DR.. George
G. Rutland, 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 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
right to use the Districts facilities.
Cites Construction Provision.
Mr.. York said that when the Fed
eral Works Agency provided funds
for the construction of suburban
hospitals in 1914 it was done because
these areas were considered a part
of the Metropolitan Area.
It 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 a 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
lbs, 900.
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.
Its construction, under Lanham
Act funds, was the climax of a 10
year fight by the County Hospital
Association.
Under the, terms of the Govern
ment lease, maintenance expenses
were provided until March 81, 1945.
Since that time the organization
has been ION its own" Mr.. York
said
Has Option Purpose.
We've been doing very WELL" he
added, land as long as things con-
tinue this way, we'll get along all
right" The Hospital Association
has the option to purchase the
building from the Federal Works
Agency six months after the war,
he added. The site on which it
was built belongs to the association.
Given provisional "a" rating by
the American College of Surgeons,
the hospital also is member Of
the American Hospital Association.
The provisional rating, Mr.. York
said, is as much as they can ex-
pect now, considering the newness
of the institution. A permanent rat
ing, he said, usually is not given
until hospital is at least two
years old.
Commenting on the hospitals
functions, he said it has a tire
mendous emergency service" Stat
ing there were over 800 such cases
last month, he added this demand
has been going up every month
since I've been here"