The Daily Alaska empire., 1947-10-11
TB Sanatoriunl Ali Seward Moi
 To Be Closed
Methodist Board of Mis-. sions Will Continue fo
 Operate Institution

Assurances that the Seward Tu- berculosls sanatorium will not close | is given by pr. c. Earl Albrecht, Territorial Commissioner Of Health Returning from visit to the sanatorium. Dr. Albrecht said, of ficlals of the Methodist Board of Missions who are operating the Seward sanatorium under lease agreement from the Territory have indicated they will continue to op- crate the institution even in the face of a setback which includes removal of 48 Alaska Native Ser vice patients.
 The Commissioner visited the sanatorium while in Seward last week to determine what effect re- moval of the Alaska Native Service cases would have on operation of the hospital. He said that he had been informed by Don Foster, Gen eral Superintendent of the Alaska Native Service, that the ANS pa- tients were removed because of in sufficient funds for contract hos pitals.
 Tt is deplorable that Congress has not seen fit thus far to ade- quately finance the medical care program for the Alaska Native Ser vice" said Dr. Albrecht. ANS Patients Leave Thirty-three ANS patients have already left Seward for Federal hospitals, the remainder will depart next week. A doctor and two nurs- es accompanied the first group of patients that left. A total of 62 pa 1 tients will remain in the Seward sanatorium after all ANS cases have left.
 Dr. Albrecht stated he was deeply ! impressed with the enthusiasm and willingness of Seward sanatorium personnel to continue in the face Of hardships. They are indicating, he reported, a wholehearted de- sire to meet a prime need in the Territcry-beds for tuberculosis pa [ tients."
 Main factor providing for con- | 4. oF carnntnrIilf11 only one of it's kind in western Alaska, is the Territory's program for hos pitalizing its heneficiaries at Sew ard as well as the Veterans Ad- ministration.
 The Commission said Dr. Harris, medical director of the Veterans Administration in Alaska, recently visited the Seward hospital and found a sanatorium in which vet erans were receiving excellent hos rital and professional care under Dr. A. R. Valle, physician and sur geon in charge Dr. Harris indlcat- ed he will increase number of pa tients at Seward as there are quite few Alaskan veterans needing decentralization for tuberculosis. Progress in the battle against tuberculosis was reported by Dr Albrecht when he stated that as a result of an operation performed ty Dr. A. R. Valle on October l, an Anchorage man at the sanator- lum has a new lease on life.
 During the past week four pa tients have been discharged from
 the Seward sanatorium as having arrested cases. These patients are
 what the layman might call cured, and are the first to be sent back to their home communities in An chorage. Fairbanks and Seward where they can resume normal lives" said Albrecht.
 The operation performed by pr Valle, in which he was assisted by pr. Shelton of Seward general hos pital and Dr. Albrecht, is known as a first stage thoraco-p -plasty. It in- wolves a method of obtaining per manent collapse of an infected area of the lung.
 Tn performing the first thoraco plasty in western Alaska, Dr. Valle has brought to the Territory one of the great developments in treat ment of tuberculosis in modern times.
 The Commissioner said that the | Territorial Department of Health ! has purchased the best modern l equipment for Dr. Valle to carry out chest surgery and make bron- choscopi examinations. Tn the fu- ture," Dr. Albrecht advised, it will not be necessary for patients in All aska to be rushed outside to have foreign bodies removed from the lungs.
 Mrs. Valle is highly qualified as a bacteriologist in her own right, said Dr. Albrecht, and as such is
 of great help to her husband. Dr ' and Mrs Valle make an enthusi-
 astic team in Alaska's fight against :, tuberculosis"
 Now serving as superintendent
 of the Seward sanatorium is Miss
 Ruth Murrell with Paul Nelson
 handling the job of general mana