Evening star., 1951-11-26
Hospitals Urged
To Plan Now.
For Atom Attack
Baltimore Man Saws
Core of Air-Ruid
Victims Is Theirs
Bv WoIIoee T clnvton
By Wallace {. CIoyton


traitor today warned delegates to
the 18th conference of the Mary
land District Delaware Hospital
Association that they should i'm
mediately draw up plans to cope
with atomic attack if they have
not already done so.
Robert S. Hoyt, administrator
of the Lutheran Hospital of Mary
land, told the 500 delegates at the
Hotel Statler that the major re-
sponsibility for care of air-raid
victims rests solely with the hos
pitfalls.
"The attitude of the public and
Congress toward civil defense
leaves much to be desired" Mr..
Hoyt said. IF bombs should be
dropped tomorrow. more people
would be killed by the resultant
panic than by actual injuries
from the bombs.
"If we in the hospitals are not
ready to admit a completely ab-
normal load of patients, then we
had better get ready" Mr.. Hoyt
continued.
Suggests Committees.
He advised the hospital officials
to:
/. Appoint Immediately a civil
defense committee composed of
the heads or representatives OF
all hospital departments.
2. Prepare detailed plans OF
each hospital. with each section
marked according to its use in
case of attack. Copies of these
plans should be placed at many
points throughout the hospital SO
personnel and the public could
become acquainted with them.
3. Draw up alternate plans in
case the hospital is wholly or
partly destroyed in the attack. A
substitute building at least 10
miles in the country should be
reserved as an alternate treatment
site.
4. Plan Immediately to make
the greatest use possible of vol
unteer, trained personnel. with
professionals spread out as thinly
as possible throughout the dis
aster organization.
Mr.. Hoyt emphasized that
neither civil defense officials nor
the public seem to have allowed
for the possibility that more than
one bomb would be dropped or
that the bombing might continue
over a period of days.
He told the hospital officials
they could better guarantee the
smooth functioning of their en-
tire staff if they would reserve
within the hospital area a place
for the families of all hospital
workers. He said the treatment
would be much more efficient if
the hospital staff knew their fam
lilies were safe.
Prefers Surplus of Plans.
He also said that hospitals, hav-
ing drawn up civil defense plans,
should have dry runs" to make
sure things would function
smoothly in case of attack.
Let us have a surplus of plans,
If that is possible. rather than too
little, too late" Mr. Hoyt said.
Mr.. Hoyt spoke at the opening
session of the two-day conference.
Earlier. Commissioner F. Joseph
Donohue welcomed the delegates
and praised Health Officer DR..
Daniel Seckinger and DR.. Philipp
A. Stebbing, superintendent of
Gallinger Hospital, for the prog
reSs at Gallinger in recent years.
He said more progress could
nave been made, but for the "re-
luctance of Congress to provide a
fair share" of the costs necessary
to run the District.
DR.. Frank D. Costenbader pres
ldent Of the District Medical So
clety, said that a lot of the So
called misunderstanding between
hospital medical staffs and hospi-
tai boards could be alleviated if
the physicians were kept informed
of the boards plans and problems
Annual Dinner Tonight.
He denied that doctors were
"prima donnas' who had to be
handled in a special way, and said
often the medical stats feelings
were hurt because they were not
told what was going on in the
hospital administration.
Section meetings of dieticians,
maintenance engineers, nurse
anesthetists. medical record IL
brarians and purchasing agents
were scheduled for this after
noon.
DR.. Anthony ]. J. Rourke, pres
ident of the American Hospital
Association, will be the principal
speaker at the annual dinner at
7 o'clock tonight.
After morning devoted to
more section meetings the confer
ence will conclude with a second
general session at 2 pm. tomor-
r0ur