The Tuberculous Veteran, Plans for His Future Care

¹ Assistant Director, Tuberculosis Service, Veterans Administration.

Tuberculosis accounted for over 12 per cent of the discharges for disability of officers and enlisted men of the Army during a 33-month period in the first World War.

Of the total World War I compensation service-connected disability awards still being paid by the Veterans Administration, 15 per cent are for tuberculosis as the major disability.

Currently only 1.5 per cent of the disability compensation cases of veterans who served in World War II are receiving awards for tuberculosis.

The Veterans Administration is now operating over 8,650 tuberculosis beds. Contract beds in private, municipal, county and State hospitals are also being utilized.

Measures to insure early diagnosis, application of prompt effective definitive treatment, frequent and thorough post-hospital follow-up care have been established; medical, nursing and social work staffs have been expanded; and increased emphasis is being placed on early rehabilitation of the disabled tuberculous veterans.

Future plans call for five types of institutions for the hospital treatment and post-hospital care of tuberculous veterans.

1. Units of 150 beds each for specialized care of tuberculous-psychotic patients.

2. Departments of not less than 100 beds in general hospitals for patients who require constant bed rest.

3. Rural sanatoria for ambulant patients under definitive treatment.

4. "Health resorts" with proper segregation for ambulant patients with positive sputum not under definitive treatment.

5. Communities for ambulant patients with negative sputum handicapped by complications or a concomitant disease.