Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1948-09-11
Dr.. Louis Wright
Halls Federal
Health Report


port on "The Nations Health"
submitted to President Harry S.
Truman by Oscar R. Ewing, fed
e-al Security Administrator, was
hailed today as document of
historic Importance by DR.. Louis
T. Wright, chairman of the board
Of directors of the National AS
ISOLATION for the Advancement of =
Colored People.
The 186-page report reviews the
"~lth 8" tvs o. the American
people, points up the DEFICIENCIES,
urges remedial action and rec
ommends a comprehensive gov
eminent health insurance plan
and annual congressional approp-
riations of $15O,00O,0OO under an
amended Hospital Construction
Act to assist localities in the
building of new hospital facilities.
The objective of the health pro-
gram, the report maintains, is
ITO assure for every individual his
utmost degre of health con-
dition in which all his physical
and mental powers and function
ing at their best - through pro-
viding complete health and med
zeal services to everyone in the
Nation to do this for every man,
woman and child without regard
to his race or religion, the colo
of his skin, his place of national
origin or the place he lives in
our land, and without regard for
his personal economic status"
The report recommends: THAT
al maintenance subsidies to hos
pitfalls be assured only on condition
that professionals personnel should
be accepted asSstaff members, or
as workers, in the Underwater
hospitals without discrimination
as to race, religion, or sex"
Citing the relative lack of Ne
gro physicians, the report asserts
eve can no longer tolerate in
our society a system of medical
care under which Negro ply
sicians and Negro patients are
Disseminated against. There sho-
uld be no racial barriers in the
provisions of adequate medical
care. Qualified Negroes must be
admitted without discrimination
to the health professions, and to
the use of training and health
facilities. The opportunity to study
and practice medicine should be
open to all eligible candidates
regardless of race, cred or SEX"
Dr.. Wright, who is surgical di-
rector of Harlem Hospital and
a fellow of the American College
of Surgeons, expressed the OPP
inion that this report is the first
recognition of the importance of
health as it relates to all the peo-
pies by responsible agents of the
government 1t is in fact, a doc
ument of historic Importance. The
recommendation of the Federal
Security Administrator for a ma
tional health insurance program
ofefr a sound and feasible plan
for improving the thealth of the
nation. Onl under such a plan
can the masses of Negro citizens
and other low-income groups inn
prove their health so that they
may contribute their maximum
efforts to the nations economic
development Accordingly, the MA
ACP indorses this program and
hopes that the recommendations
of the report will be approved
by the President and enacted by
Congress.
In a note OF acknowledgement,
Mr.. Ewing expresses particular
thanks to the executive committee
of the National Health Assembly
which met on his call in Wash
ington last May and made recon-
mendations for inclusion in the
survey. Walter White, NAACP
secretary, served as a member
of the Assembly's executive COM
mittee and actively participated
in the formulation of the program.