Evening star., 1947-11-26
D.C.HeadsStu
$189,500 Plea
For Ga||inger
Outlay Suggested
For Improving Of
Mental Division
By Miriom Gutenberg

By Miriam Gutenberg
Commissioner Guy Mason said
today he will pass on to his fell
low Commissioners and the Dis
trict budget officer the problem
of deciding whether the District
can afford to spend $189, 500 to
improve the staff and facilities
of Gallinger Hospitals psyche
pathic division.
The $189,5O0 expenditures-most
Of it for staff increases-was recon-
mended late yesterday by Health
Officer George C. Rutland to bring
the psychopathic division up to
standard.
Mr.. Mason said it was his per-
sonal belief that it would be cheaper
to close the psychopathic division
and amend the commitment laws to
send mentally i'll patients direct to
st. Elizabeths Hospital.
Recommendations Studied.
While Mr.. Mason was studying
the set of recommendations, Gal
linger Hospital Supt A. r. Sweeney
was meeting with representatives of
the George Washington University
and Georgetown University chiefs
of psychiatry on the question OF
Transforming the psychopathic divi-
sion into a teaching center where
patients could get better care.
DR.. Sweeney said the psychia-
trists indicated that the division
would have to get more staff physi-
clans before full-scale teaching
program could be installed. He
added, however, that they were
sympathetic and agreed to dis
cuss the question further.
The need for more psychiatrists
and better pay for those now on the
staff was stressed by DR.. Rutland in
his report.
In all, he recommended $125 ,209
for additional employees and pay in
creases. He also recommended $50
500 for three new elevators to re-
place the unusable ones now in the
psychopathic buildings and s14,s97
for additional equipment.
He said the average number of
patients had increased from 1918
in 1943 to 1853 as of last Friday and
predicted, that from prewar ad-
mission rate of between $500 to
1900 a->year the admission rate
is expected to average between 5000
and 5000 a year in the future.
The shortage of attendants, he
said, is so acute that sit is remark
able that no murders have so far
been committed"
DR.. Rutland recommended ST.
663 in pay raises, based on new
grades for presently employed
psychiatrists, and $2,100 to boost
salaries of resident physicians the
hospital had not yet been able to
hire. The increases, he said, were
necessary to compete with other
cities in filling vacancies and to
retain psychiatrists already on the
staff.
Work Load Stressed.
Also recommended were an addi-
tional staff physician to take the
place of staff psychiatrists when
they have to go to court and two
more resident physicians. Dr.
Rutland said the work load carried
by the present staff is so heavy
that the psychiatrists have to work
S. or more hours a week without
extra pay.
DR.. Rutland also made these rec
concentrations with an explanation
in each case:
1. A fund of $500 to pay for the
services of outside specialists in diff
ficult cases. If arrangements can
be worked out with medical schools
for the services of specialists, this
fund will not be required.
2. An increase of SO attendants
at a cost of $74,358. DR.. Rutland
said that because of the shortage
of attendants, patients have to be
manacled to their beds; physicians
walk among dangerous patients on
the wards without protection; pa
tients themselves are left without
protection against attacks from
other patients and several danger
Gus prisoners have escaped. At
tendants also are required to make
up for the shortage of nurses.
Two Social Workers Needed.
8. Two more social workers at q
cost of $6,794. The one social worker
now on duty is "hopelessly swamped
with cases."
4. Two more physiotherapy aids
at a cost of $5,288. These aides,
DR.. Rutland said, are important in
the treatment and quieting of pa
tients. Lack of their services has
been one of the major criticisms
of the division.
S. Three more occupational ther-
apists at cost of 1892. Occupa-
tional therapy, the health officer
explained, is important in keeping
the minds of patients occupied and
thereby helping them to recover,
but enough personnel is needed to
keep patients from hiding instru-
ments used in occupational therapy
and later harming themselves or
others.
6. Four more clerical workers at
o cost of $8,672. These additional
workers, DR.. Huhrland said, are
needed to relieve psychiatrists OF
paper work and relieve nurses OF
non-nursing duties.
Equipment Items Listed.
The equipment items recon-
mended by DR.. Ruhrland include
more facilities in occupational and
psysiotherapy, soundproofing the
admitting wards and providing fur
niture, beds, wheel chairs, carpen-
tering and other items on the wards
AS for the elevators, DR.. Ruhl-
land forwarded a recommendation
from Archie G. Hutson, director OF
construction, that the unused ele-
vators were in such bad condition
that new ones are needed.
Maryland Spending Hit
IS Million in October
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