Evening star., 1947-12-30
Beoin This New Deal Now

If DR.. Wortis is able to communicate some
of his healthy indignation over Galhngers
psychopathic division to the Health De-
partment and the District Commissioners
something may be done to improve the
place.
DR.. S. Bernard Wortis, psychiatry direc-
tor of New Yorks Bellevue Hospital, Is the
Public Health Service consultant assigned
to survey Gallinger's psychopathic division
following The Stars recent re-exposure OF
disgraceful conditions there.
His report is blistering Indictment OF
those conditions He remarks on the curl
Gus fact that some of the things he IS
saving have been said at least twice before,
In official reports. He uses almost the
Identical language used by The Star to
caption it's series of articles-"A Disgrace
to Washington" He tells what Is wrong.
He forbears from attempting to say how
things got the way they are, or why they
have not been corrected.
He speaks of the deterioration OF the
whole division. The buildings are IN
"deplorable state" But they are not so
old. The original structure, though badly
planned, was built in 1923. The District
has been pouring money into Galllnger
Some of its divisions are in excellent con-
dition. What accounts for the dlscrlmlna-
tory neglect of the psychopathlc division?
Why do the patients there, whose need Is
so great, receive less than an hours at
tention per patient per day, compared
with three and half hours in the COM
icio q
hours in the pediatrics division, one and
a half hours in the medical division and
three hours in the obstetrical division?
Why is the staff in the psychopathic
division underpaid, undermanned, driven
and harassed and overburdened?"
Some of the trouble, in the psychopathic
division, is due to inadequate structural
facilities. Some of it is due to the drab,
poverty-stricken, rundown plant. Some
of 1t Is due to shortages of professional
personnel. Some is due to the unnecessary
patient load, which should be relieved by
direct admissions to st. Elizabeths. Some
is due to the terrible failure to segregate
seniles, alcoholics, prisoners, adolescent
children, psychoneurotics, medically and
surgically i'll patients-all of whom are
thrown together. Some Of 1t is due to
such things as elevators that will not run,
roofs that leak, plumbing that does not
function.
But in The Stars estimate, lot OF the
trouble is the result of bad management.
That can be corrected without much ex-
pense. Good management can effect many
of DR.. Wortis' recommendations right now.
A new building is doubtless necessary. But
it is going to be years before new build
ing is ready. In the meantime economical
improvisation, cleaning up, painting up,
repairing, etc. will have to be under
taken. Nothing should be left undone
to enlist the aid of the George Washington
and Georgetown University Medical Schools
in building up the plant and increasing
personnel as they have helped to do IN
every other division at Gallinger. Necessary
amendments in the Districts commitment
laws should be made, permitting direct
assignments of chronic cases to st.
EliZabethS.
A new deal is needed, in other words
It can be begun by assigning DR.. Gilbert,
the overburdened director, exclusively to
the duties of District alienist and securing
a successor who will get what he needs
or raise the roof. He will have the COM
munity's support and the support either
of his present superiors or OF those who
take their places.