St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1947-03-28

AAASo SiA AAC" al "a ~ 40 ~ oANI
preparations, Representative
Wisconsin, expressed amazen
physicians from practicing
Columbia other than FreedmC
The question of discrimination
against Negro physicians in local
hospitals came up during the testi-
mony of DR.. Charles r. Drew, med
ical director of Freedmen's, when
Mr.. Keefe asked DR.. Drew how
many hospitals in the District ad-
mitted colored patients.
DR.. Drew named Gallinger, Gar
field, Casualty, George Washing
ton and Georgetown. He said three
fourths of the patients at Gallinger
were colored, and that accident
cases are carried to Casualty and
Emergency but a great number of
them were transferred to Freed
mems. He added that there were
colOred sections in these hospitals
where colored patients are treated
and that Garfield has an out-pa-
tient clinic and an impatient serv-
ice.
Zone of the great disadvantages,
however, in this set-up and one
of the unique things about Freed
mems hospital is that it is the only
hospital in the District of Columbia
where a colored physician may
have his patients go and follow up
that care" DR.. Drew testified.
DIR. Drew said that that situation
made "a tremendous amount of
difference to the patients in some
instances because they like to have
their own physicians follow them"
He added that it snakes a great
deal Of difference to the physi-
clans"
"Who lays down that law?" Mr..
Keefe asked, when DR.. Drew stated
that colored physicians cannot
practice in any hospital in the Dis
trict except Freedmen's.
These laws are laid down by
the governing boards Of the hos
pitals," DIR. Drew replied.
'Is it on the basis that the
doctors are not competent or is
il purely on the color line?" Mr..
Keefe asked.
Purely on the color line" DR.,
Drew replied. "Gallinger hospital
is the one hospital in the city which
is community controlled and the
Commissioners make the ruling that
Negro physicians cannot practice
in that hospital"
Minnesota Congressman Says
System Wrong
Representative II. Carl Ander-
son, Republican, of Minnesota, said
he thought 1.-The system is wrong"
DR.. Drew said colored physicians
are required to pass the same ex-
animation that any physician is
required to pass in order to prac-
tice here.
"As a matter of fact" he said
Il believe our standards at this
minute are not matched by any
other voluntary hospital in the Dis
trict of Columbia. For five years
at Freedmen's hospital it has not
been possible for any surgeon to
operate in that hospital who has
not been certified as a specialist
by one of the American boards OF
surgery.
81 don't know any other hos
pital in the city which requires
such a high standard for mere OPP
Grating privileges"
DR.. Drew's testimony provoked
a discussion of the Halliburton Hos
pital act.
Mr.. Keefe said he was interested
in the testimony because it was
proposed to build "a lot of hos.
pitfalls throughout the country under
the stimulation of the Halliburton
hospital construction program in
which the Congress has been asked
to appropriate this year $50,000,,
900, to be matched with 100000,
900 by state and local sponsorship
"If a hospital were built under
that genesis in some southern state
would the same rule, regardless Of
character, ability, training, ant
background, be applied to Negroes
and are we going to run into that
sort Of situation in the raising anC
spending of this money TO build
hospitals" he asked.
DR.. Drew replied, Definitely
yes" He directed attention to tbs
fact that Congress had appropri'
ated 35,OOO,O 900 to build a hospital
here. He added that so far as hi
knew colored physicians would moi
be allowed to practice in that hos
pital.
"As | see it." said Mr.. Keefe
at boils itself down to this, doc
tor: We are spending a lot Of
money and are asked to spend &
lot more money to develop the med,
ical school at Howard University
to produce trained medical mer
and women that can 60 out fntc
this great area where there are
100000 colored people and prac
tice their profession among their
own race, and yet they are denied
regardless Of background alone
color-they are denied the right tc
practice in any hospital except al