Evening star., 1960-04-10
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control procedures or to make
birth control referrais. The
hospital hereby notifies patients
who desire further information
about this matter that they
may apply at the reception
desk in the obstetrics depart
ment, District General Hos
pital.
Director, Department Of
Public Health"
Patients who apply at the
desk are given a sheet with
the address and telephone
number of Planned Parenthood
Association.
Employees will be required to
distribute this sheet regardless
of their own faith, Mr.. Karrick
noted.
Position Clarified
Thus, he said, all patients
now have the opportunity to
get from competent clinics"
the advice they seek.
And" he added. they will
not be deprived of this oppor-
tunity because of their per-
sonal religious scruples or those
Of their physicians"
A placard similar to the card
will be posted on the bulletin
board in the obstetrics depart
ment, he said. ~
Mr.. Karrick reported that
the program was approved by
unanimous vote of the three
District commissioners. But
he noted that Commissioner
Robert E. Mclaughlin felt the
information should be more
generally available"
Mr.. Mclaughlin said he felt
that under the present plan
only a small per cent of the
patients would follow through,
while many would not know
enough about birth control to
ask for information in the first
place.
Legal Ruling Made
Questions should be an
swered at the hospital. he said.
Mr.. Mclaughlin said he also
favors both fitting patients and
supplying them with contra
ceptive devices at the hospital
when the conditions outlined
by Corporation Counsel Ches-
ter H. Gray are met.
Asked by the Commissioners
to explore the question after
criticism of the lack of birth
control program at D. c. Gen
eral, Mr.. Gray ruled that this
could be done for married and
unmarried women when ply
sician certified that the pa
tents physical or mental
health would be benefited.
Planned parenthood propon-
ents contend that child spac-
ing is part of good, modern OBJ
stetrical care. They say it is
being denied to the poor, who
are dependent on unsupported
hospitals and doctors for medI-
cal care.
Asked in an interview on
WWDC's Report to the Peo-
pie" yesterday if he had dis
cussed the matter with the
Catholic leaders, Mr.. Karrick
replied, II have discussed 1t
with a great many leaders"
Faculty Discussion Planned
The dean of the Georgetown
Medical School, DR.. Hugh Hus-
sey, said the question of wheth-
er Georgetown would withdraw
If clinic was established
cant be answered. It would be
determined in large part by the
circumstances"
DR.. Hussey said he also could
not say whether some kind Of
clinic could be set up that
would be accepted by George
town, adding that that is some
thing that would have to be
discussed by the faculty.
DR.. HuSSey said the question
of Georgetown's withdrawal
never came up in discussions of
a birth control program at the
hospital.
In a press conference Friday,
District Public Health Direc-
tor Daniel L. Finucane reported.
1--WE knew Georgetown's posi-
ton without asking"
He said District officials
we're afraid the university
might pull out of the entire
hospital if a clinic was set UP.
This would be a considerable
loss to the hospital" he noted
Clergyman Explains
However, DR.. Finucane said
he thought it possible that
under certain circumstances
a birth control clinic might be
very satisfactory to George
town" The kind of clinic that
would be acceptable has not
been explored with the deans
of the medical schools, he said.
The Rev. Thomas J. O'Don-
nell, 81, Georgetown Univer-
sity representative to the
Georgetown School of Medi-
cine, stressed yesterday that
the card being given out at
District General Hospital lis a
mechanism Of the hospital and
not of the university"
He noted: 1T merely refers
the patients who request con-
traceptive advice to seek the
information from sources other
than the Georgetown Univer-
sity division of the D. C. Cen
eral Department of Obstetrics. "
Moreover" he said, "the
card is the instrument of the