East Cleveland leader. [volume] (East Cleveland, Ohio) 1942-1970, 1949-12-15
Plan For Continued Fight Against
Spread Of tuberculosis In Ohio

HbA NAhuV
/ are unknown, even to the person
that has the tuberculosis. To fine
all these cases is a long, difficult
and expensive job, but it has to bt
done if we are to protect everyone
from tuberculosis"
DR.. Ames is calling a meeting o1
his Board of Directors for Decem.
Der 16, at the Neil House in Colum.
bus. The Board will examine the
problems of controlling the disease
and determine the policies Of the
organization for the coming year
The problems DR.. Ames has set
forth for consideration concern
every man, woman and child be-
cause they are directed toward
eliminating tuberculosis from every
county in the state and toward re-
ducing the financial burden of so
many cases OF the disease.
The problems are:
(1) The Need for More Tubercu-
losis Hospital Beds: Ohio has
only $500 such beds and needs
about 5000 if all known cases
are to be given proper care
and treatment.
(2) Increase in New Cases: In 1948
the Ohio Department of
Health recorded 9,430 new
cases of tuberculosis for the
year. This is the largest num-
Der ever reported. Most of the
iScrease is due to the mass X
ray surveys co-sponsored by
local tuberculosis associations
and financed by Christmas
Seals.
go tuberculosis in General Hos.
pitals: Limited surveys of pa
tients admitted to general hos
pitals indicate that many of
them also have tuberculosis. AS
many as four persons in every
100 admitted for other causes
may also have tuberculosis
The problem is to find these
cases before they infect other
patients, and the doctors, nurs-
es and attendants who are
taking care of them.
(4) Investigation of Patients Pay.
ing for their Own Care in Hos
pitals: The law requies that a
patients financial ability to
pay must be investigated when
that patient is admitted to a
tuberculosis hospital. Instances
are known where property has
been sold and mortgages made
in order to pay for such hos
pitalization. This situation
often causes the patient to
get out of bed and go home
rather than lose his property.
AS a net result he usually
loses his life and infects some
of his family with tuberculosis.
(5) Better Local and State Health
Services: No tuberculosis pro.
gram can succeed without gooC
health services in the state
and local Boards of Health
In the past the Ohio Depart
ment of Health has been un
able to give the kind of serv
ice it wants to give to the
people because it hasn't hac
enough money. Only the Legis'
lature can provide this. On 6
local level there are too many
part-time health departments
that are poorly staffed anC
poorly supported by the com.
munity. The needs of the peo.
Pile can never be met until
radical changes are made in
the organization and financing
of these departments.
(6) Better Local tuberculosis AS
SociatiOns: The burden of the
tuberculosis education cam
paign and in many instances
the case finding efforts of a
community depend entirely
upon the local tuberculosis as
sociation. This association is
financed by the sale of Tuber-
culosis Christmas Seals, and
not by taxation. We must seek
new ways of strengthening the
local associations and provide
them with enough money
through the sale of Christmas
Seals, to carry out the tuber-
culosis program in every
county.
"These are some of the problems
which must be solved" said DR.
Ames, "If Ohio and it's 8S counties
ever hope to be free of tubercu.
losis. The bill for disqualification
alone is we'll over Is million dollars
a year. We know how to control
tuberculosis; we know how it car
be eliminated. All we need is com.
y,o,pi+, c,1pnort apd y,pdarS1a din N.