Source: Medical Administrative Statistics Division, Department of Medicine and Surgery, VA Form 3411. June 13, 1947. Albuquerque, N. Mex. Salt Lake City, Utah. Sheridan, Wyo. RO, Albuquerque, N. Mex. RO, Denver, Colo. Salt Lake City, Utah. 19 20 28 62 3 62 3 65 Mr. KEARNEY. Mr. Lusk. Mr. Lusk. Mr. Chairman, in view of the discussion that has taken place this morning, I believe and I would like to recommend, that the committee look into this matter. I think we would be neglecting our duty if we do not investigate the situations described by Mr. Johnson of Oklahoma and Mr. Mitchell, just to find out from the other angle, from the servicemen of their veterans' organizations, the information that they can give us on this situation. I am sure that General Hawley is doing a fine job, but I do know, too, that there are discrepancies in these reports, and I know from my own situation at home a little bit about it, and if we can get the information I am sure that General Hawley would not object to our doing that, so that we can correct any situation if it is necessary to be done. Then I would like to go further and present this information to the Bureau of the Budget or the President or whoever should have it and try to get some recognition of the real needs here, and work on it from that angle. I think they need help in the Veterans' Administration to get proper funds, and perhaps if we could be of assistance along that line, we should do it. Mr. KEARNEY. Before I call on the gentleman from New York, I will say that the Chair has had similar experiences along the lines described by the gentleman from Indiana and the gentleman from Oklahoma. I brought these matters to the personal attention of General Hawley in one instance and Colonel Cook in the other two, that I am thinking of now. Those three cases were taken care of. But, General, I think that what the gentleman from Indiana and the gentleman from Oklahoma have in their minds is the same thing that I have and that is this: As a layman, I know nothing about the practice of medicine but I do know that if a veteran is denied admission to a hospital and he dies within 24 hours or within 10 days after the manager of a particular hospital says, "No, this is not a case that demands immediate hospitalization," I say there is something wrong with the particular manager of that particular hospital. In other words, it is my thought that we should err in favor of the veteran and not in favor of the convenience of the manager. Now, I have one case that I recollect as though it happened yesterday. That was a case in southern New York. The doctors who were attending this veteran recommended immediate hospitalization. The doctors at the hospital said it was not an emergency case. Well, it turned out to be an emergency case. Now, why do the managers of hospitals or the doctors in charge of the hospitals, do those things? They could not claim there were no beds available because in this particular instance there were plenty of beds available. That, I think, is what both of these gentlemen have in mind. Why should when the doctors attending a case certify that it is an emergency case, in my opinion, and I think that is the opinion of every member of the committee-why should not that veteran be admitted immediately for available treatment? Dr. HAWLEY. I agree with that thoroughly, and I would say that we are admitting 40,000 veterans a month in hospitals and while I |