Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-12-28
Hospitals, D. {.
+AgreeonCare
For All |ndigents
Seckinger Says None
Will Suffer Regardless
Of Residential Status

| =
Of Residential Status
A plan to provide hospital care
for INDECENT persons, regardless Of
their District residential status,
was announced today by Health
Officer Daniel L. Seckinger.
DR.. Seckinger said after con-
ference with hospital authorities
that hereafter mo person will
suffer because of legal technical
tiles.
The meeting was called in con-
nection with the case of patient
who was deposited at Gallinger
Hospital Christmas eve after he
had received treatment at Emer-
gency Hospital.
Gallinger officials had told the
hospital earlier the patient was
not eligible for care at Gallinger
because he did not meet residence
requirements for free care.
Doctors to Handle Transfers.
Hereafter all transfers of pa
tents to Gallinger will be ham
died by the resident physician on
duty at any hospital, through ar
rangements with the admitting
officer at Gallinger, DR.. Seckinger
said.
Difficulties heretofore have
arisen between interns and per-
sons down the line in the chain
of command at Gallinger and the
hospitals, it was said.
officials attending today's meet
ing included James G.. CapoSsela,
Emergency Hospital administra-
tor, and Willard Smith of Hospi-
tai Services Agency, a Community
Chest organization.
Gallinger Hospital officials,
meanwhile, cited doctors entries
in an admitting Office "log" to
illustrate charges that some WASH
ington hospitals have used the
municipal institution as dump
ing ground"
Several of the entries state that
hospitals have sent to Gallinger,
over that hospitals objections.
patients who are not eligible for
care at the unsupported hos
pital. >..:~
In the Emergency Hospital case,
according to the log, personnel
had a patient get out of bed. get
into a cab and go to Gallinger. al
though Gallinger had warned hi
was ineligible for care there,
Ambulance Cases Cited.
On other occasions, ambulances
that are supposed to take emer-
igency patients to the nearest OF
, several hospitals, under an agree
ment, have travelled great dis
Itances to bypass other hospitals
on the way to Gallinger.
DR.. P. A. E. Stebbing, Gallinger
superintendent, said that last
week, Emergency Hospital sent
another patient. merchant sea-
man, suffering infected second
degree burns, to Gallinger in q
cab. Gallinger earlier. he said.
had told Emergency he was ineli-
gible for care at District expense,
again because of non-residency.
George Washington University
Hospital, DR.. Stebbing said, re-
Gently sent to Gallinger two can
Ger patients, both of whom had
been operated on at G. w. The
patients, in the last stages Of the
disease. are still at the tax-sup-
ported hospital.
i As an illustration of patients
brought to Gallinger who should
have been taken by emergency
ambulances to other hospitals,
officials cited this doctors entry
in the Gallinger "log" made last
September:
i "Comatose woman brought in
by Emergency Hospital ambulance.
They had picked her up at Union
Station, brought her right past
Casualty Hospital to here. Got
into quite an argument with the
Ambulance driver and orderly
about this sort of thing. This eve
ming we have had half a dozen
such cases brought in by Freed
mems Hospital ambulance from
as far as 1400 block of Newton
street NV. ST.
Reason Given: "No Money"
1T seems that to better serve
the public, patients should first
be taken to nearest hospital ia
cility. Reason given for bringing
i (See GALLINGER, Page A-4.)