Evening star., 1949-09-29
S., ,147 ,586D.C.H Health Budget
Proposes Home Treatment PLAN

about 45 cents q day, as compared
with a cost of about So a day for
such patient in a hospital.
Would Expand Home Care.
In future budgets, the city
heads were informed, it is planned
to enlarge the home medical care
to include other diseases.
The department proposes to set
up a limited program for home
cancer care initially. to take care
of a daily average of 80 patients.
About half will be cases now bed
ridden at Gallinger, who will be
sent home, and the other half
will be needy cases referred by
private hospitals and welfare Or
Examinations.
Both the heart disease and dia-
betes programs are intended to
include education, central regis
tries to furnish information on
incidence of the diseases. provi-
sion TO rthe INDECENT. and follow
ups.
The diabetes program planned
for fiscal 1851 does not provide
for operation of the registry or
the education phase, except what
can be done orally by physicians
or nurses. 1t is hoped to under
take those two items the following
year.
/ In justifying its request for the
Northwest Health Center next
year. the health authorities
pointed out the Commissioners
have an opportunity to finance
about third of the cost out Of
Federal grants, under provisions
of the Hospital Survey and Con-
struction Act. scheduled to close
after 1852. 49, " "
Old School Unsatisfactory.
The old abandoned Polk School,
which was assigned to the depart
ment for use as a health center,
lis most unsatisfactory. it was
pointed ,,out, and is only about
half the size needed. The 75-
year-old building should be razed,
the city heads were advised.
Also. it was noted, the depart
ment has been notified it cannot
renew the lease for fiscal 1851 on
a building at 1890 Ninth street
NV. location of a maternal and
child welfare center. The center
is one of the departments busiest
and serves an area which has the
highest mortality rates among in
fants, according to the budget re-
quest
In addition, the Commissioners
were told, the United Community
Services has recommended the
child welfare clinic at Children's
Hospital be denied Chest support
after June, 1850, and that services
of the clinic be provided by the
Health Department.
On the matter Of payment to
contract hospitals for care of the
INDECENT, the health authorities
pointed out the hospitals are re-
questing payment in 1851 of from
50 an impatient day in the case
Of Episcopal Eye, Ear and Throat
Hospital to $18 in the case of
George Washington. Figures for
clinic visits range from 81 for
Episcopal and Casualty to $4.35
in the case of George Washington.
Increase Proposed.
While withholding its recon-
mendation until costs can be veri-
fled according to a standard
formula, the department consid-
cred the justification for an in
crease in rates for impatient care
so clear that it wss willing to sub
NIT a, tentative recommendation
for 81 increase per patient day.
| Funds recommended for the
contract hospitals for fiscal 1851
total $871, ,374-an increase of
$126.374 over the appropriation
for 1850. The hospitals recon-
mended $1,329, ,936-an increase
of 1894 1896.
Among 179 new jobs requested
for the department are 20 sani-
tary inspectors posts. It was
pointed out that. in addition to
the need for regular inspections,
there is a pressing need for a
"block by block" cleanup Of older
areas Of the District.
The department asked for three
Junior public health engineers to
begin a 10-year war on rats, espe-
cially in infested industrial areas.