Evening star., 1947-05-04
1opNeedsLisied'
For tuberculosis
Program Here /
Heulth Council Uroe3
More Beds, Prompt
FinonciuI Aid
By Thomos 6. Buchanan


mittee review Of sanitation sery.
Ice here urged creation of q Metro.
politan Water Authority ito have
legal jurisdiction and responsibility
Tor operation of the entire water
works system Of the Metropolitan
Area
Both reports will be presented for
adoption by the Health Councils
Coordinating Board as the policy
Of the council in meeting from
3 to S pm. Thursday at offices OF
the District Medical Society, IT'S
M street NV.
The tuberculosis study was pre-
pared BY special subcommittee
headed by DR.. Harry r. Dowline
and including DR.. Clayton Ethridgs
and F. H. Kepworthy.
Given Emergency Status.
1t gave emergency" status to
measures that would make availabls
to tuberculosis patients 800 or more
beds In institutions not now In use
because trained nursing care cannot
be provided.
To accomplish this, the subconl.
mittee recommended raising the
pay of graduate nurses in tubercu-
losis hospitals through higher civil
service ratings, establishment of six
months courses in practical nursing
IN tuberculosis and widespread pub.
licity to persuade nurses to take
these positions.
Equally important, the report as.
serted, is the setting up of fund
to enable the Bureau Of Public As.
! sistance to begin immediate pay.
ments to any one diagnosed as hav.
ing active tuberculosis and conse.
quently forbidden to remain at
work.\
1t was pointed out that present
financial aid is so slow that many
are forced to ignore the order, or
else must sleep in public shelters
until they can be admitted to
hospital.
Other Needs Cited.
Other recommendations in the
field of tuberculosis described as
having top priority" include.
LA tuberculosis advisory commit.
tee to guide the District health Of.
flcer In the community's tubercu-
losis needs, as suggested in last
years survey.
g. The city's tuberculosis register
should be continued and improved,
with an experienced statistician
placed in charge--another steu
urged in the 1916 study.
| 8. An additional $50 sanatoriun
beds, for patients with good pross
pect Of recovery under supervision,
should be established at Glenn Dale:
200 additional hospital beds at Gall
linger and 125 at Freedmen's, for
patients who need active therapy,
and separate institution for hope
less cases
| 4. Virginia authorities should be
urged to increase the "deplorably
inadequate" facilities for tuberculosis
care in Alexandria, Arlington and
Fairfax Counties.
After weighing arguments for and
against the proposed city-wide tub
erculosis survey, the plan was ap-
proved in principle.
/ Warning that the cost of the sur.
vey should not divert funds from
more urgent health needs in the
field Of tuberculosis or elsewhere" !"
the committee said the necessary
money should be obtained from q
source outside the regular Health
Department budget.
| While last years survey group
singled out the Director of the
Bureau for tuberculosis, DR.. A.
Barklie Coulter, as primarily respon.
sible for shortcomings in the tuber-
culosis program by reason of "a fun.
damental incapacity for team works
with his Health Department asso-
ciates. the Health Council subcom-
n1ittee revised this Judgment.
| 1t held that Others must Share
In the responsibility" for lack Of
inter-agency cooperation, and
added:
Although the present director
may have some striking personal
habits which may have irritated
certain persons, we feel that on the
whole he Is capable of, and intense.
ly interested In, doing a good jobs
| The report concluded with a rec
ommendation for greater emphasis
on rehabilitation of the tuberculous,
with emphasis on vocational guid-
ance as distinguished from occupa-
tional therapy, which has a purely
diversionary character.
The District Health Department
was advised to provide rehabilitation
services to help train patients In
jobs that will enable them to remain
in the arrested stage of tuberculosis,
without risking a collapse through
excess strain.
Area Water Office Urged.
The subcommittee on sanitation
consisted Of DR.. Paul B. Cornely and
Vernon G. Mackenzie. Like the
tuberculosis committee, it approved
most OF the recommendations Of last
/ years health survey.
/ On the water question, however, il
went further than the 1916 report,
4 which urged that the War Depart.
ment, the District Health Departs
ment and the District Department
/ Of Sanitary Engineering corporate
effectively in the distribution sys-
/ tenn.
The committee recommended that
the o-operation could best be in-
sured by certain Of a Metropolitan
Water Authority, with full powers
over water distribution. ~
I It held that the 1916 report
! fed much of It's prope~
i for improved ss-
slum clearan
that mo pro.
i of dwellings
/ out parallel m -
j vision OF decek
which the slunA