Evening star., 1948-02-01
Doctors 10 Name
ID. {. Institutions
Inspection Unit
Move Follows Article
By Dr.. Miller Choreine
Lock of Civic Interest
By Thomas G. Buehonon

The District Medical Society will
shortly name Committee on Public
Institutions to inspect such inStitu-
tions regularly and press for needed
improvements, a move suggested by
Representative Miller, Republican OF
Nebraska, himself a physician.
DR.. Miller, chairman of the House
District subcommittee on y Health
Welfare and Education, urged that
such committee be named in an
article in the latest issue of the
medical groups monthly publication
Medical Annals, which appeared
yesterday.
He said that Washington ply
sicians have overlooked their civic
duties" by permitting "fiagrant fail
ing in the public service" to develop
adequate facilities for care of the
sick and aged in District institutions
II can promise you all the CO.
operation possible from those of us
in the Congress who are aware OF
the situation" he wrote.
To Be Permanent Body.
The announcement that such a
committee will be named came last
night from Theodore Wiprud, execu-
tive secretary of the District Med
ical Society He said it will function
along the lines recommended by DR.
Miller and will be permanent body
DR.. Miller, who recently visitec
seven District institutions and re-
ported to the Commissioners thai
four were "discouragingly made.
quate," advised Washington doctor.
to verify for themselves the condi.
tions he found on the unheraldee
inspection tour.
Il believe the obligation falls upor
us doctors, as good citizens, to SEIZE
the initiative for progress in these
areas peculiarly pertinent to oui
profession" he said. DR.. Miller once
served as State Health Director in
Nebraska.
Observations Briefed.
what I saw was not pretty" DR.
Miller said, in summary Of his
findings which included these obser.
vations:
Gallinger Hospital: Psychopathit
division "woefully understaffed
found the care of the patients sc
substandard that Il hesitate to dig.
nifty it as psychiatric care"
Receiving Home for Children
Kitchen and dining room facilities
so inadequate that 1t was impossi-
bility to feed the children properly
Here again the problem was person
mel shortage" ...
Home for Feeble Minded al
Laurel: Security provisions lacking
as evidence by the number of abs
condings 80 Additional physicians
and nurses are needed I am
certain there are many feeble
minded patients in the District who
need institutional care and cannot
get the attention they need"
District Home for the Aged: The
usual shortage of medical facilities.
The kitchen and dining provisions
are cramped and impractical. The
building themselves are old and
tired to me they appeared to be
potential firetraps."
To Repeat Tour.
The three institutions which DR..
Miller found in relatively good
shape were the National School for
Colored Girls, the Industrial Home
School for Colored Boys and the
Municipal Lodging Center.
In an earlier report, DR.. Miller
described the Industrial Home
School at Wisconsin avenue and
Thirtieth street NV. he said, is
fire hazard" and needs replac-
ing.
DR.. Miller said he planned to re-
peat his tour of District institutions
in a month or so to observe whether
any improvement has been effected
in facilities for the care of patients.