Evening star., 1947-11-18
(Secold of T,Do Articles.

tSeCODG OF IUO AfItcteS)
The charge by the Presidents Committee on
Civil Rights last month that District policies
Of racial segregation hamper the training Of
Negro medical students and doctors revives q
perennial local issue-the problem Of Gal
linger Hospitals all-white medical staff.
There are three medical schools in Wash
ington-George Washington, Georgetown and
Howard. The number of medical schools for
a community Of this size Is unusual In the
United States. The two white schools supply
from their faculties the visiting staff of CALM
ger Hospital. They receive, in return for the
services they freely perform for the citys sick
wards, the right to demonstrate to their medical
students the proper method of diagnosis and
treatment Of each case
The third medical school, Howard University,
has similar relationship with Freedmen's
Hospital.
Close ties have existed between Gallinger,
George Washington and Georgetown since the
city hospital was built. The present working
agreement, drawn up in 1928 and amended in
1899, was based upon a District appropriation
act of 1910 which authorized the Connis-
sioners to accept voluntary medical service
for public charitable institutions In the Dis
trict Of Columbia.
lne agreement now III OpCIdClOI was hp"
proved by the former District Commissioners
Hazen and McCoach, Health Ofacer Rutland,
GEORGETOWN University President OLeary ana
George Washington University President Mar
win.
The agreement provides: "The visiting STAN
shall as far as possible be selected from and
composed of members of the active teaching
faculties of Georgetown and the George Wash
ington Universities Schools OF Medicine in
approximately equal numbers and with equiva-
lent ranks, and each candidate for appointment
to the staff must be recommended by his re-
spective university before he is formally con-
sidered by the Executive Committee Of the stan.
The visiting staff thus formed shall be respon-
sible for the professional care Of patients Other
physicians may be appointed upon the nom1na-
ton of the Health Officer when in his judg-
ment circumstances SO warrant
What the Arrangement Accomplishes.
To the District taxpayer, this relationship
with the medical schools has brought saving
of hundreds of thousands Of dollars which
would otherwise have had to be spent on doc
tors salaries-just how much, hospital ofnclals
are themselves unable to estimate. To the
patient at Gallinger, 1t has meant higher
level of medical care from experts who could
not have been attracted to District Health
Department payroll. And to the young men
learning to practice medicine, it has offered
a wealth and variety of medical experience no
other city hospital can match
Although originally Howard University Off
cials evidenced no great interest in participate
ing in the training opportunities at Gall1nger
Hospital, because facilities at Freedmens were
believed adequate, they have expressed an in
creasng desire to do so in recent years.
Last February, DR.. Mordecai johnson, How
ards president, told House Appropriations
Subcommittee that If the medical school could
let its students watch the diagnosis and treat
ment of patients at Gallinger as well as Freed
MEMS the number Of students admitted to its
medical school could be nearly doubled.
Howard already trains nearly half the Negro
doctors in the country. It's fall enrolment was
276 The combined enrolment Of Negro medi-
cal students in all other schools was 316. How
ard officials say deficiencies in the training