Evening star., 1947-05-04
|IopNeedsLbied
For tuberculosis
Program Here
Health Council Urges
More Beds. Prompt
FincncioI Aid
By Thomos g. Buchonon

InonCi0I AID
By Thomas G. Buchonon
Fun use Of beds In tuberculosis
hospitals and provision Of prompt
financial aid to those who must
quit their jobs while awaiting hos
pitalization are the smost urgent
steps to be taken to combat tuber-
culosis here.
Those were the findings Of the
Survey Committee Of the Washing
ton Metropolitan Health Council In
. report made public last night.
The report was based on an analy-
sis Of last years Health and Hos
pital Survey, sponsored by the
council.
At the same time, another COM
mittee review Of sanitation serv-
ice here urged creation Of a Metro
politan Water Authority ito have
legal Jurisdiction and responsibility
for 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 5 pm. Thursday at offices Of
the District Medical Society, 1718
M street NV.
The tuberculosis study was pre-
pared by a special subcommittee
headed by DR.. Harry F. Dowling
and including DR.. Clayton Ethridge
and F. H. Kenworthy.
Given Emergency Status.
1t gave emergency" status to
measures that would make available
to tuberculosis patients 800 or more
beds in institutions not now in use
because trained nursing care cannot
be provided.
To accomplish this, the subcom.
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
Hcity 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 a
hospital.
Other Needs Cited.
Other recommendation in the
field of tuberculosis described as
having stop priority" include:
l. A tuberculosis advisory commit
tee to guide the District health of
f1cer In the community,s tubercu-
losis needs as suggested in last
years survey.
2. The city's tuberculosis register
should be continued and improved,
with an experienced statistician
placed in charge-another step
urged In the 1916 study.
5. An additional $50 sanatorium
beds, for patients with a good pros
pect Of recovery under supervision,
should be established at Glenn Dale;
200 additional hospital beds at CAL
hnger and 125 at Freedmen's, for
patients who need active therapy,
and a 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
erculosls 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 work.
with his Health Department asso-
ciates, the Health Council subcom-
mittee revised this Judgment.
1t held that Others must share
In the responsibility" for lack of
lnter-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
iy interested in, doing a good Job"
The report concluded with a rec
ommendation for greater emphasis
on rehabilitation of the tuberculous.
with emphasis on vocational guild
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 3. 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. it
went further than the 1916 report.
which urged that the War Depart
ment, the District Health Depart.
merlt and the District Department
of Sanitary Engineering Cooperate
aft as&f fSs<1 t,. = !.