Evening star., 1954-10-27
Officials Differ
On tuberculosis
Hospital Need
Association Leader
Defends Proposal;
Spencer Doubtful
By John McKelwoy


Of the District Health Depart
ment has broken out over sus
pension of architectural plan
for the new 300-bed tuberculosis
hospital, it was learned today.
Plans for the hospital, ap
proved by Congress in May, hav,
been halted while the Health De
partment, acting at the reques'
Of the Commissioners, re-evalu,
ates the tuberculosis picture IL
the District.
Commissioner Samuel Spence
said today that apparently" tn,
District no longer has d substan.
tial waiting list Of tuberculosiI
patients in need of hospital care
"A question was raised 10 oul
minds concerning the need fol
more TB hospital beds, and W,
have decided to look more fully
into the situation" Mr.. Spencer
said.
Views Challenged.
Meanwhile, Edward K. Funk.
houser. director Of the Distric,
tuberculosis Association, sale
the tuberculosis picture in tn,
District has not changed anc
that the need for the hospita
Is as great as ever. He ha.
charged that some health Off.
cials "are gambling" with thu
health of the community be.
cause Of a new attitude towarc
the care Of the tuberculosi.
patient.
DR.. Donald Sickler. who re-
Gently took over the Health De-
partment's tuberculosis Bureau
said there is a possibility the
hospital will not be built, If the
current study bears out what he
has found to be a national trend
Fewer hospital beds. because OF
newer methods of treating tuber-
culoSis, are needed.
There is evidence" DR.. Sickler
said, that this trend is taking
place in the District.
Care Shifts.
''The responsibility of caring
for the tuberculosis patient has
shifted from the hospital to the
community. Care of the patient
can now be given in the home
or Ia oat~patient clinics. The
need for hospital beds for TB
patients is diminishing through
out the country"
He indicated this new tech
nique in treating tuberculosis has
not been accepted by his critics
because OF their inability to
break with the past.
DR.. James J. Feffer, a member
Of the board of directors of the
tuberculosis Association, is
sharply critical of the Districts
home care program of the tuber-
culosis patient.
when home care" he said
"is a practiced principle which
affects the community as 9
whole, I think it is dangerous.
'The ideal situation would in
volve careful attention given tc
a patient by an understanding
family. It would mean isolation
such as only a private room anc
private BATH could afford. II
would mean careful supervision
of the patients treatment by q
physician, and education of both
the patient and members of his
family about the disease.
Income Factor Cited.
''It is my belief that such home
care cannot be furnished by
families with much less than q
$40, ,000-a-year income. Today
home care for the general public
means inadequate treatment Of
an active case out Of the hos
pital."
known tuberculosis cases are
not being referred to hospitals
for treatment in the District
There seems to have developed
new philosophy regarding the
treatment of tuberculosis ir
Washington. I think the pro.
gram being managed by the Of
fetal health agency Of the Dis
trict is dangerous"
According to DIR. Frederick G
Heath. deputy director of the
Health Department" there has
been no change in policy" in the
departments treatment of tuber-
culosis patients.
1--WE have found the pressure
for TB beds has lessened. Al
present, there are about 100 te
200 persons on home care. The
majority Of these, we find, are
recovering nicely and becoming
non-infectous through treatment
received at our clinic and al
home"
Isolation Questioned.
Because tuberculosis exists
mainly in the lower-income
groups and in the closely popu-
lated areas, Mr.. Funkhouser feels
it is impossible to maintain per-
manent isolation Of the tuber-
culosis patient under a home care
program.
These people must be given
hospital care, II only for some
education as to what their disease
means to them and their families
and how to live with it," he said.
He said home care practiced
in these areas means that active
cases are walking the streets.
DR.. Heath said some cases are
ambulatory and leave their
homes for treatment at the
tuberculosis clinic. He described
these as arrested cases.
DR.. Howard Payne. prominent
colored physicians long active in
the tuberculosis field here. said
he does not know of any ma
tional trend indicating less need
for TB beds. He believes such
. situation does not exist in the
TAsn%~sA4