Evening star., 1950-01-31
Supply Shortage
Plaques Doctors
AtFreedmen's S
Forced to Improvise
To Meet Simple
Needs of Patients
By George Beveridqe

ASIDE from medical skill, I'M.
provisation is probably the mos
essential talent for Freedmen:
Hospital doctors to possess.
The need, officials said today
arises from Observation-Disclosures
of simple supplies like bed sheets
and towels. expensive drugs like
streptomycin, surgical instru-
ments, X-ray plates and person
mel. Shortages. basically. o.
money.
There are times during the
year, explained Medical Director
Paul B. Cornely, when the hos
pital has all-or nearly all-these
things. But almost any day, hi
said, the doctor who needs {
certain item, and needs it imme.
diately, may find it unavailable
Doctors Use Ingenuity.
That, he said, is when ingenuity
of the doctor and other hospita,
workers enters the picture, "tc
keep a decent standard of serv-
ice to patients, despite the short
ages"
Doctors have called me up to
the operating room and said. they
needed black silk suture of a Ger.
tain size to close a wound" he
declared. But none was avail
able. They got suture, but it
wasn't the kind they wanted"
Another time recently, he said
doctors found their supply of
chest X-ray film exhausted. They
took the chest pictures by using
two smaller films, and holding the
pieces together to read them for
diagnosis.
Diapers for Shirts.
A pediatricS nurse said the hos
pital doesn't have enough shirts
for infants. For babies too small
to roll over, the nurses tie the
ends of diapers over their shoul-
ders to give the infants chests a
sernblance of protection. Their
backs are protected by the blan-
kets on which they lie.
DR.. j. w. Ross, chief of OBJ
stetrics and gynecology, said there
are not enough bed linens fol-
daily changes or to care properly
for patients after operations
Where the hospital needs three
changes of linen per bed, accord
ing to Supt. Herman A.. johnson
it has only one and a half.
DR.. John S. Mitchell, CHIEF
pharmacist, said the following
are among supplies needed, but
now are out of stock:
Hydrogen peroxide, epson salts,
petrolatum (for ointments). tai
cum. streptomycin and milk of
magneSia.
Allotment Already Spent.
DR.. Mitchell said he hasn't yet
ordered these and other supplies,
because his department already
has spent it's three month allot-
ment of $4,000.
Gallinger Hospital, the tax-Sup-
ported municipal institution, had
critical supply problems last year,
corresponding to some of those at
Freedmen's.
Gallinger officials said two fac
tors have wiped out most of their
difficulties.
The first, they said, was a $685.
900 deficiency appropriation last
year, which enabled the hospital
to develop a reserve of supplies
"and get off the hand-to-moutt
basis under which we had beer
operating"
The second was an increase II
funds for drugs and other sup.
plies, made possible by cuts il
fuel. food and other expenses thil
year.
Other Funds Diverted.
During the first six months O
this fiscal year, Freedmens ha
been diverting money from othe,
funds to ease the supply shortag'
but still has not met needs, Mr.
johnson said. For drugs, alone
he commented, the hospital re
ceived $4,000 for the year begin
ming last July.
To supply expensive drugs TO
treatment, officials said. the medi
cal staff has begged or borrowed
them, often not until after tn,
patients needs are known. A
times, they said, doctors have
purchased drugs with their owl
money.
DR.. William B. Russell. an OBJ
stetrician, said that happened on
night last week.
AN intern called me at home,
he said, ito report that medica
ton had ordered for a patien
in labor >was out of stock.
dropped by drugstore an,
picked it up. 1t was the only wa,
to get it,"
Equipment Shortages.
On shortages of equipment Dl
Clarence S. Green, chief of neuro
surgery, said the hospital does no
possess instruments needed fo
some types of delicate operation.
In some cases, he said, consultant
who visit the hospital bring thei
own instruments. At others, pa
tients have been moved to othe
hospitals for surgery.
Dr.. Cornely said that, despit
the shortages, 'tfe caliber of med
ical treatment is high" Las
year, he said, the hospital had ,
mortality rate of only per cen1
In inspections. he said. the Amer
ican Medical Association ha
given high ratings to all the serv
ices.
One ANA recommendation, D.
Cornely said, was that more type
of research be conducted, in whic
interns and resident doctors ca,
participate. The teaching pro
gram, he explained, require
treatment of patients with a wild