Evening star., 1947-11-17
Measuring Concern in Health
Despite Heavy Public Expenditures in Some Fields
Racial Inequalities Exist in Others
By Thomas G. Buchanan

Hospital beds for Negroes thus total 1,407,
about "a per cent Of the city's Alas general
hospital beds now available to the public This
figure is above the estimated Negro population
level of about % per cent.
Health Department records show, however,
that the colored population has heavier SICK
ness rate than white residents OF the Dlstrlct'
and thus is In greater need Of hospital care
Diseases reported last year to the Health De-
partment show "a per cent OF all measles cases
occurred among Negroes, Sc per cent OF Whoop-
ing cough, 80 per cent of chicken pox 30 per
cent of dphtheria, So per cent Of meningitis, II
per cent of polio, As per cent Of pneumonia, "
per cent of scarlet fever 80 per cent Of syphilis,
40 per cent of typhoid and 80 per cent of in
f1uenza. For all reported maladies, the Negro
rate averaged 40 per cent.
With % per cent Of the population then, the
Negro has "a per cent of the general hospital
beds, but 40 per cent of the sickness Of the en-
tire community
Some Of the Causes.
Negro health authorities like DR.. w. Mon
tague Cobb president of the Medico- Chirurgi-
cal Society, the chief Negro medical society
here, attribute the racial health differential to
overcrowding, poor nutrition, bad sanitation
and too few visits to the doctor.
hospital OIuCldlS pIeStllI dLlOCd-
ton of beds represents the approximate pro-
portionate demand according to race. But COL
ored doctors say poverty or ignorance prevent
many Negroes from seeking hospital care when
they need it.
A ma ajority must seek financial aid from tax
funds, through the Hospital Permit Bureau, or
Community Chest donations, through the
Health Security Administration. The Metro
Joo1fh oY,I fo1 1oct
found this imposed IAN unjustihable burden
upon the sick poor In the amount of travel and
technical aid with which they must COPE" and
said that many sick persons became so en-
snarled in red tape that they never returned
to the hospital for treatment.
In certain specific fields, such as maternity
care, the facilities for treatment of Negroes are
inadequate. This is particularly true in con-
valescent care, completely lacking for colored
children although there are two convalescent
homes for the Districts white youngsters.
In addition to protesting the numerical in
adequacy of the Negros hospital beds in the
District, the civil rights group charged dis
elimination in the type of bed assigned.
The citys private hospitals have, by long
standing policy limited their Negro patients to
segregated wards. Last years hospital survey
cited above, reported, THE Negro wards in
most instances are inferior to ward accom-
modations for white persons" Most Of them
are located in the older sections of hospitals
Some wards contain as many as 36 beds.
Regardless of the colored patients ability to
pay, it is practically impossible for him to get
private room in the District. There are only %
private beds--2O at Freedmen's and two at
Casualty. Even these are kept primarily for
those whose medical condition demands their
isolation. Only If isolation is medical neces-
sity can the Negro patient be transferred to a
private room in the other hospitals
Freedmen's Hospital officials say they could
easily take three or four times the present
load" of private patients if private rooms were
available, and report the demand is steadily
growing. Other hospitals are unable to esti-
mate the potential demand, since their racial
policies are sufficiently well known to reduce
inquiries to a minimum. DR.. Cobb reports
some Negroes in need of hospital care travel to
Philadelphia, New York or other cities to get
private rooms.
Tomorrow, the question Of admitting Negro
doctors and medical students to Gallinger Hos
pltal, an issue revived by the committees re-
port, will be discussed