Evening star., 1954-10-31
Tb Conflicts
DeraiI Plans
For New Unit
Health Board Asked
To Eye Discrepancy
In Reporting Needs
By John McKelwoy

@yS
In Reporting Needs
By John MeKelway
Inability of the Health De-
partment to produce statistics
on tuberculosis cases requiring
disqualification has caused sus-
pension Of designs for the pro-
posed 300-bed tuberculosis unit
at District General Hospital.
tuberculosis figures presented
to the Commissioners by the
Health Department, based on
the first nine months Of this
year. apparently present the
picture Of a health department
not in need of additional tuber-
culosis beds.
Discrepancy Cited.
The Commissioners have asked
the Health Department to ex-
plain the discrepancy between
the new statistics and those pre-
sented to Congress last spring
to justify the hospital. The
Health Department - long the
leading advocate of more tuber-
culosis beds for the community
in turn is making a new effort
to produce the statistics to justi-
fy the hospital.
What Figures Show.
The figures in question show
that TIA new cases of tubercu-
losis were diagnosed in the first
nine months of this year.
OF these, 404 have been hospi-
talized as charges of the District.
The rest are at private hospitals,
hospitals out of town or at Fed
eral institutions-and not the
responsibility of the District-or
have declined disqualification.
The statistics assume that by
the end of the year-counting
new and recurrent caSes-the
District would be responsible for
685 cases, figure which requires
1853 tuberculosis beds, as con-
trasted with 1,151 cases cited to
Congress.
The Health Department has
available about LOOT beds for
tuberculosis. These are at Glenn
Dale. District General, Upshur
Street and Freedmen's Hospitals.
On the basis of these figures,
the Commissioners have asked
health officials to show why the
number of beds already existing
in the District hospital system
can't take care of the tubercu-
losis case load.
Registry Retabulated.
The Health Department
stumped for an explanation-is
fetabulating the entire tuber-
culosis registry and is expected
to answer the Commissioners
this week. The department is
trying to locate the tuberculosis
patients who would justify the
300 additional beds. They be-
lieve that the statistics exist, if
correctly tabulated, to prove the
need.
One portion of the statistics
has changed the tuberculosis
picture-almost overnight. This
is the figure of about IS per cent
which covers those patients
treated in hospitals outside of
the Health Departments re-
sponsibility.
When justifying the hospital
before Congress. health officials
did not mention this bloc of pa
tients who are not the respon-
sibility of the District-an ap-
parent oversight.
Call Figure Too High.
On this point, tuberculosis au-
thorities say. the figure is en-
tirely too high and does not
represent true picture.
Generally, the statistics in
question have been roundly at
tackled by various medical circles.
The tuberculosis Association,
for one, feels there is a tremen-
dous backlog of patients in need
of hospital care that were not
considered when the statistics
were drawn. The association
also has said that the percent
age of patients taken care out
side of District hospitals would
drop around S per cent if the
"entire" tuberculosis picture was
included in the statistics.
A slightly different phase OF
the controversy has found a
number of District doctors crit
tcizing the "home-care" program
Of the Health Department. The
treatment of the tuberculosis pa
tient at home has been described
as a temporary expedient" by
Health Department officials. II
was instituted to care for the
patient on a hospital waiting
list.
"New Philosophy" Hit.
Some doctors have said thar
DR.. Donald r. Sickler, head O.
the departments tuberculosis
bureau, has instituted "nev
philosophy" in home care by no
referring, they charge, numbel
Of tuberculosis patients to hos
pitals.
Along the same line, DR.. DAME
L. Seckinger, director of Public
Health. said Friday:
THE home care of patient
was instituted to care for pa
tients until they could get int
a hospital. I fear that it ha
assumed too great a role in tn
picture of total care and reha
bilitation of patients.
But he added: 1.-THE Depart
ment has never changed it
policy in this respect"
DR.. Seckinger has repeated.
descrihad ffIharcf1losiS nc "th,