Evening star., 1948-01-12
District Budget Asks
$4,000 10 Plan New
Ga||inger Mental Unit
By Miriam Ottenbero

Funds to draw plans for the long
recommended new psychiatric build
ing at Gallinger Hospital were re-
quested in the budget message sent
to the House today.
Although the hospital and the
Health Department had asked the
Commissioners to approve $2000,-
600 outlay for the psychiatric build
ing, Gallinger Supt. Alvin r. Sweeney
said he was pleased that the Com
missioners had been willing to re-
quest 100000 for building plans.
The hospital has listed the psychi-
atric building as the first priority
item in its fiye-year building pro-
gram.
eff the Commissioners had asked
for building as well as plan money" 2"
DR.. Sweeney said, 1--WE could get the
building quicker, but at least this is
start. It indicates the Commits
sioners are going along with the
building program"
Buildings Called Obsolete.
Although the psychopathic divi-
sion buildings were erected as late as
1923, experts who have made three
surveys of these buildings since 1888
have described them as obsolete and
constructed in such way that
segregation of different types OF
mentally i'll patients is impossible.
In addition to- the psychiatric
building planning money, the Com
missioners and the Budget Bureau
forwarded requests for $500,000 to
provide additional funds for the
construction of new pediatrics
building at total cost not exceed
ing $1,610,000 So far. $620,000 has
been appropriated for this project.
DR.. Sweeney pointed out that con-
struction of the pediatrics building
will make it possible to move sick
children out of their present quar-
tiers on the second floor of the psy-
chopathic divisions administration
building. This space, DR.. Sweeney
said, may be used for mentally Ill
children, for whom there is no room
at present.
Incinerator Fund Requested.
The only other building item for
Gallinger in the budget request was
an additional $4,000 to build an
incinerator, for which $4,000 al
ready has been appropriated. 1t
was explained that 21a-ton trucks
from Gallinger now have to cross
the city twice daily to get rid of
trash.
The Commissioners refused to
pass along requests for additional
funds to start building a laboratory,
for which $4,000 already has been
appropriated; a s1,0o0,00O crippled
children's building. a $650,000 resi-
dence for doctors and other perma-
nent improvements.
The Health Department had re-
quested 1874 additional employees for
Gallinger. The Commissioners cut
this request to 366 more employees,
most of them nurses and attendants.
Dr. Sweeney said he believed the
hospital could get along with the
staff increases approved by the
Commissioners If Congress makes no
further staff cuts.
Equipment Fund Slashed.
The equipment fund was cut by
the Commissioners from the re-
quested $153,000 to $4,000 which,
DR.. Sweeney, said, will mean defer
ring some improvements and reduc-
ing others.
OF this fund, the hospital had re-
quested s8,676 for the psychopathic
division. DIR. Sweeney said, however
that the psychopathic division. which
has been under fire as a disgrace
to Washington" will not suffer by
the cut. He pointed out that. the
Commissioners have instructed the
hospital to make $4,000 worth of
in the psychopathic
division out of current operating
funds.
In all, the Health Department re-
quested $10,606, 100 for Gallinger and
the Commissioners cut this request
to 81, 400 900. Gallinger's current ap-
is $3,45O.O00.
DR.. Sweeney said he considered
the Commissioners did very we'll by
us, even If they didn't give us every
Ehinp We asked fnr"