Evening star., 1948-12-26

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these agencies of the Public Health
Service: Bureau of State Services,
quarantine activities of the Bureau
of Medical Services, Biologics Con-
troll Laboratory and the cancer con-
troll activities of the National 1nsti-
tute of Health, and Offices of Sani-
tary Engineering and Dentistry
from the Surgeon Generals office.
The Food and Drug Administration
also would be placed in this di-
vision.
Research and Training Division
to coordinate all the research and
medical education activities appro-
pirate to the Bureaus huge program
of direct medical care.
Two Groups Not Included.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs
Hospitals and those of the Bureau
of Prisons would not be transferred
to the new organizations, but they
would be manned by personnel of
the proposed Bureau of Health. 1t
had been reported earlier that on
the basis of the report as then
drawn, the Indian Affairs Bureau
hospitals would be included in the
new bureau.
The recommendation that the
post and station hospitals of the
armed services be included in the
Federal hospital system, with the
exception of those in outlying areas,
runs counter to what the Hoover
Commissions committee on the Ma
tional Security Organization re-
ported.
That committee, headed by Fer
dinand Eberstadt, approved putting
the general hospitals into the sys-
tenn but said station and post hos
pitals and dispensaries would not
be affected.
Both task forces agreed that each
of the services should retain one
medical and teaching hospital and,
the overseas hospitals. The Eper-
stadt committee said probably the
Navy would retain the Bethesda
Hospital and the Army would keep
Walter Reed.
| The Medical Service Committee
included the hospital functions
which the Tennessee Valley Au-
thority and the. Atomic Energy
Commission carry on among those
which should not be included in
the proposed system.
Would Transfer All VA Functions.
But In connection with the Veter-
ans Administration, the report says
its medical functions should be
transferred Gin toto, including the
outpatient services in the regional
Offices" The report also says:
Veterans hospitals are by far
the largest single group, have more
than half the total bed capacity of
all the Federal hospitals and are
progressively increasing in size rela-
tive to the others. Were they to
remain separate. the new bureau of
health would be the Governments
central agency in name only. Under
the direction of the statute (setting
up the comrrlission and the in
structions of the commission to
consolidate like services, this trans
fer is mandatory"
Only by including VA hospitals,
the report said, can integration be
achieved that will provide high
grade specialist care for the armed
forces and can scarce medical man.
power be utilized efficiently.
Overall Planning Urged.
One conclusion fundamental to
all others, the report said, is in
escapable: There must be overall
planning. This In turn requires a
clear definition of the extent of the
responsibilities and an organization
appropriate to carry out the COM
mitment."
The system it would set UP would
group hospitals into regions, each
under a regional director with a
maximum amount of power. Each
region, so far as possible, should
have general hospital as its teach
ing and consultative center and in
clude not only smaller general and
station hospitals but also tubercu-
losis, psychiatric and other special
lied hospitals and facilities for out
patient care.
The task force said 1t felt the
question of compulsory Federal
health insurance was not a ques-
ton 1t was assigned to consider, but
rather question of broad philoso-
ply of Government.
OF the $4,000 persons for whose
medical care the Government is re-
sponsible in varying degrees, 18,500,-
600 are veterans.
100000 VA Beds in Use.
There are now over 100000 VA
hospital beds in operation" the re-
port said, land further increase
by one-third is now in process.
One estimate prepared on the basis
of disqualification of veterans of
World War projects 300, 600 VA beds
E a D