The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1956-01-20
Are Hospitals "Up to Snuff" In State? -.
People Pay Too Little Attention
To Public Health Needs

| deaths IN the elghC counUleS.
90 The tuberculosis case ratio
was 1 to 9.5; the Indians suffered
80 per cent of the tuberculosis cases.
Should the health problem for
these eight counties be administered
by two small facilities-two public
health services, one state and one
federal-with duplication of adj
ministrative personnel, or should
there be state and federal co-ordlna-
ton and ON what basis? Should the
state handle the preventive program
and the federal the cure?
What portion of available funds
should be put into prevention? Or
should it all go for cure?
Should public health be considered
individually for Indian and non-ln-
dian or on community level?
When Indian health was recently
transferred from the Indian Bureau
to the U. S. Public Health Service
by the Congress there was no change
in the Indians who are eligible for
services. Funds for Indian health
will still be used for Indians on the
reservation. The status, for instance,
of Indians on Hill 81 will be the same
as they were before the Public Health
Service was given the job of Indian
Health.
The cost of meeting the public
health problem among Montana's In
dams, according to DR.. Thompson, is
about So to SO per Indian per year,
whether the Indian lives on or off
the reservation.
In answer to a question, Thompson
said it has been proven that tubercu-
losis is not primarily one of a racial
tendency among the Indians but
rather one of exposure, contact, poor
housing and diet.
He said that services and staff
for public health in Montana are
grossly inadequate for Indians as
well as non-Indians, and the health
of a community cannot be segre-
gated on racial lines.
DIR. Earl Hall, Great Falls, report
ed on the Infant Death Study of
Maternal and Child Welfare Com
mittee of the Montana Medical As
ISOLATION and pointed out that infant
and maternal deaths in Montana had
decreased from SO per 1000 popula-
ton in 1916 to 28.4 in 1854. The
Medical Association survey, answered
by $50 of the doctors contacted,
led to the conclusion that the death
rate could be lessened through great
er knowledge and education on the
part of prospective parents, con-
Iuering and correcting emotional
stresses, and diet.
Economic reasons for improper
prenatal care should be dealt with,
;aid DR.. Hall. Insurance companies
'ay 6O,000,000 people are covered
~ health insurance of one kind or
mother 160,000,000 people
hould be covered if necessary to
rive Americans adequate medical
are" he said.
DR.. Hall said the medical profess
ion was working constantly to i'm
,rove on the good record of the past
o years in decreasing the infant
md maternal death rate.
70 CLASS "a" HOSPITALS
N MONTANA?
The Great Falls doctor said he
oes not believe there is what he
yould consider class A hospital in
fontana, but if there is it should be
all over the state. He
aid there is no way a prospective
lother can know the rating of the
ospital she is entering because no
ublicity is given on the matter at
ne present time.
Lack of nurses is not a good
nough reason for improperly stated
ospitals, according to DR.. Hall, be-
ause girls can be found to go into
Re profession with the proper re-
ruitment program and salary sched-
lie, he said.