Evening star., 1951-12-02
Anesthetists Ask
Georgetown for
Practice Rights
Permission to Take
Private Cases Is
Sought by Society

The District Society Of Anes-
thesiologists has proposed to
Georgetown University Hospital
that society members who serve
there be granted courtesy privi-
lege" rights to practice "in ac-
cordance with the custom almost
Universally followed by other insti-
tutions requiring such service"
The proposal was made in q
letter to the Rev. Paul A. Nc
Nally. dean of the Georgetown
Medical School, after the resigna-
tions of DR.. Edward B. Tuohy and
nine doctors in resident training
at the hospitals anesthesia serv-
ice.
One Of the resident doctors said
yesterday he thought all nine had
left the hospital in accordance
with designations submitted earlier,
to become effective November 80.
Program Held Inadequate.
The former Georgetown resident
doctor, who asked that he not be
identified, said the main reason
for the mass resignation was that
the group felt DR.. Tuohy's resig-
nation as service chief left the
hospital with an inadequate train
ing program in their speciality.
DR.. Tuohy's former assistant.
DR.. Theodore Guenther, has been
named acting chief of the service,
iofhcials said.
Father McNally would not COM
ment on the hospitals attitude to-
ward the society proposal, but said
surgeons have been advised that
for the time being they could
bring anesthesiologists into the
hospital in order to keep up with
surgery schedules.
He said he felt steps taken "cer-
tainly' have been adequate to in
sure good medical care ION a
temporary basis" and that I'VE
are doing everything we can to
stabilize the situation"
Salaried Staff Did Work.
"The dislocation, we hope, will
be of very short duration" he said.
Before DR.. Tuohy's resignation.
doctors said, the entire anesthesia
program was conducted by the
hospitals salaried staff.
The anesthesia society's letter
said the group was asked to draw
up a policy to guide members "in
assuming their share of the joint
responsibility which confronts the
medical profession and the
Georgetown University Hospital
in regards to the emergency care
of patients who may need immedi-
ate anesthesia service in that in
Istitution"
Two Points Listed.
! The letter listed two points as
being Significant" in the situa-
Ition:
81. Any physician when called
upon for life-saving first aid or in
any critical emergency is obligated
to do what he can during the
Emergency.
80. In order that patients in
,Georgetown University Hospital
may receive anesthesia care under
more routine circumstances it is
believed that the private anesthe-
Biologists who render this service
should do so under a system of
courtesy privilege extended for a
fiscal year by this hospital in ac-
cordance with the custom almost
universally followed by other in
jstitutions requiring such service. "
i The letter added that in a belief
that community interest will be
served by a common knowledge Of
this desire on the part of the an
esthesiologists of Washington that
no patient suffer from a lack Of
, such special service, this commu-
nication is being released to the
public press"
, Fight Is Not Nation wide.
. Anesthesiologists, doctors said,
are conducting a nationwide fight
. for the right to enter hospitals
as private doctors, to serve pri-
= vate patients and to bill them.
much as surgeons do. This sys-
! tenn is followed in many hospitals.
but many others maintain their
own anesthesia staffs.
Some sources however, said
they understood medical leaders
felt university hospitals, because
of large teaching programs, should
be exempt from proposals to fight
salaried anesthesia staffs in such
institutions.
j The former resident doctors. it
was reported, already have lined
up training posts at other hos
pitfalls. About half were reported
to be staying in Washington.