Evening star., 1953-11-08
.kfW!k1d
Care RuI
Being Re-
Doctors Surp,
Hearing on Coz
Set for Jan. 18

A new code of regulations for
the supervision of maternity and
newborn care in District hos
pitfalls is undergoing revision by
local health officials together
with the Health Department.
The Health Department also
has asked the Commissioners for
postponement until January Is
of a public hearing on the pro-
posed regulations which had
been set for November IS.
The provisions, drawn under
authority of the Hospital Licens-
ing Act of 1908, were submitted
to the Commissioners late last
month. The proposals specified,
among other things. exactly the
number of square feet per
patient in maternity wards;
amount, type and location of
equipment and supplies per pa
tlent; exact number of nurses
required and a specified number
OF patients per maternity ward.
Before revision steps were
under way, a number of hospital
authorities felt the regulations
would be impossible to comply
with due to the highly detailed
and "exacting" portions of the
proposed code. Structural
changes would be called for in
some hospitals.
Doctors Surprised.
The Hospital Council as we'll
as other medical groups and doc
tors practicing in the field Of
gynecology and obstetrics were
somewhat surprised when the
regulations were submitted to the
Commissioners without their
knowledge. The first notice given
to the Hospital Council that the
regulations had been completed,
according to minutes of the
councils last meeting in october,
was on october IA. At that time
it was stated that a public hear
ing on the regulations had been
set for October 19. This was sub
sequently postponed and reset
for November IL.
The surprise" stemmed, ac-
cording to w. M. Bucher of the
Hospital Council, from a mis-
understanding. 1t had been
thought, he said, that the new
regulations would first be pre-
sented in the form of recon-
mendations" before being turned
over to the Commissioners as
a proposal for enactment into a
new code"
DR.. Herbert P. Ramsey, presi-
dent of the District Medical So
ciety, said last night that hos
pital administrators and doctors.
together with representatives Of
the Health Department reSpon-
sible for drawing up the regula-
tions, "have been meeting to re-
wise some portions of the pro-
posed code. 1t is our hope some
thing can be worked out so we
all can go down Ito the Commis-
sioners) and plug for a new code
together"
Aimed at Outbreaks.
The Hospital Licensing Act of
1908 authorized the District Com
missioners to establish and en-
force rules governing the opera
ton of hospitals. But the regu-
lations adopted by the city heads
were of a general nature. Nothing
specifically pertaining to the hos
pital care of mothers and their
infants was included.
According to DR.. Samuel
Schwartz, attending physician Of
the Health Department, the new
regulations are aimed at pre-
venting such outbreaks as epi-
demic diarrhea in hospitals.
Serious outbreaks were reported
in the 1930s and others have
been noted in 1910, 1941 and
1912.
Emphasis on the proposed new
regulations - before undergoing
revision-waS placed on separa-
tion of the special unit from
other hospital activities, isola-
ton of sick or suspect babies,
careful supervision, thorough
going sanitary methods of ham
ding food and equipment. ade-
quate space and equipment per
patient and prompt notification
of health authorities in the event
of infectious disease outbreaks.