Evening star., 1946-06-11
Action Weighed
To Meet Health
Survey Program
Council Unit Holds
Hearings on Issues
New Chapter Out
By Harold B. Roaers


By Harold B. Rogers
Now that virtually all of the
major recommendations of the
sharply critical Metropolitan
Health and Hospital Survey have
been disclosed, several moves are
under way, it was learned today,
to determine what action shall
be taken to meet the situation
and improve the welfare of the
people throughout the National
Capital area.
Among these moves are:
l. The so-called Survey Commit
tee Of the Metropolitan Health
Council is holding closed hearings
on some of the most controversial
questions involved in the surveys
sweeping charges against the COM
munity's health and hospital pro-
gram. Details of the hearings are
not available. Vice Admiral Ross
T. McIntire, surgeon general of the
Navy, is chairman of the committee.
2. The National Capital Area
Hospital Council, formed recently
as direct result of the survey
recommendations, will meet at 4
pm. tomorrow at Emergency Hos
pital to consider several proposed
amendments to its bylaws and map
action for the immediate future.
Medical Society States Study.
3. A group of public-spirited citi-
zens Of Alexandria met in City Hall
last night to go over the survey pro-
posals and discuss program.
4. The District Medical Society
soon will take up the survey for
intensive study and report.
S. Copies of the several chapters
of the survey are being studied by
interested groups which have re-
ceived them, to decide what position
to take on recommendations con-
cerning them.
Meantime, the survey, which was
made for the Metropolitan Health
Council, division of the Council
Of Social Agencies of the District of
Columbia and vicinity, reached a
turning point in it's latest chapter
No. XVII made public today.
This chapter of % pages is "re-
view of the work of the official
health agencies" of the six political
jurisdictions. It outlines 80 diff
ferent recommendations which had
previously been made public. Such
proposals had been advanced first
IN brief personally by DR.. G. E. A.
Winslow, professor emeritus of the
Department of Public Health, Yale
University. They were disclosed in
greater detail later in the first Is
chapters made public from day to
| day. These Is chapters went COM
prehensively into 16 subjects, with
criticisms and recommendations.
The last three in the survey are
summaries of what has gone before.
Review Major Issues.
Chapter XVII, out today, and two
more to follow, chapters XVIII and
XIX, it was explained, review only
major issues' Many other impor-
tant recommendations were made
in preceding chapters of the report.
The other two chapters are expect
ed to be disclosed in the next few
days.
The report today reiterates what
had been emphasized both by DR..
Winslow and by another previous
chapter, that the No. l recommen-
dation to cure the ills complained Of
IN the District of Columbia is votes
for Washington.
The survey urged: THAT the
strongest possible pressure be
brought to bear on Congress to Sc
cure for the residents of the Dis
trict of Columbia full powers of
self government for the District
itself, and representation of the
District in the Congress of the
United States"
The chapter today briefs all 30
Of its recommendations 1t divides
them Systematically into sections,
for the District of Columbia, the
States of Virginia and Maryland,
and finally for adjacent counties
and the city of Alexandria.
Center Bill Tied Up.
One of the big problems facing
the city, leaders realized today, was
the need for more hospital con-
struction stressed by the survey.
The Senate-passed Tydings bill,
providing for such construction of a
hospital center, has been tied UP
in the Judiciary Subcommittee OF
the House District Committee, and
its hackers have begun to fear for
its fate during these closing days
OF the Congress, which may ad-
Journ or recess next month or in
August. Chairman McGehee of the
subcommittee has gone home to
Mississippi to campaign for re-elec.
ton. but has promised to return by
about July and get action on the
measure by his committee.
Another controversial issue to be
| taken up soon involves the fate of
| Health Security administration, a
private agency which operates an
admission bureau for hospitals. It
was severely criticized in its present
form by the survey, with recon-
mendations that most of its func-
tions be turned over to the hos
pitfalls themselves. What will hap
pen to it may depend on action
by the Survey Committee, the
Metropolitan Health Council and
the new Hospital Council.
| ~