Mental Health
Hearings Here
Dr. John E. Bell and Mr. Seldon
Martin were in the City earlier
this week. They are from the re
gional office of the Public Health
Service, located at San Francisco.
The two men are making a sur
vey of Alaska to determine the
best procedure in connection with
the building of a mental hospital,
and the caring for the mentally ill
in the territory. They have been
holding public meetings in the var
ious cities and towns of Alaska.
The men met with a group at the
Health Center Monday, and follow
ing that appeared before the City
Council, where they sounded out
opinions of the Council members.
The Alaska Mental Health En
abling Act was passed by the 841 h
Congress. Funds are provided for
the construction of a hospita', and
grants made to assist the territory
in carrying out the program.
Providing facilities for the hand
ling of patients prior to commit
ment, was a question brought up
by Mayor Johnson. The present
system of confining them to jails
is unsatisfactory, he said, both to
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the patient and to relatives In
reply to a question raised by
Councilwoman Ann Mae Vckaeek,
as to whether is was feasible to at
tach a separate ward to the exist
ing hospital for the caring of the
patient awaiting transportation
and arrangement for internment,
Dr. Bell stated that the building of
a ward in addition to a hospital
has been done in other Alaskan
cities. He cited Palmer and Cor
dova as two who have done so. Mr.
Martin, who is concerned mainly
with construction costs and the
physical facilities of the problem,
brought out the fact that such
wards are not unlike other wards
in a hospital. In fact he said it is
difficult to tell the difference.
“Windows of glass with a high
tensile strength are now available.
Bars are a thing of the past,” he
said.
The question of a nurse or a
qualified attendant for the pa
tients, came up. Dr. Bell stated an
orderly could be trained locally
for the position. He also said it is
not as difficult to handle patients
as formerly. Certain drugs are
used today, he said, which prove
very effective in calming the pa
tient.
It was also brought out that
many of the patients are border
line cases, and are confined for ob
servation only. They should be
treated with special care.
The Doctor pointed out that
people should make their desires
known, as the Territorial Legisla
ture, in its next session, will draw
up a mental health code. The Ter
ritory must make a committment
by July 1, 1957, he pointed out.
The Act provides that all expenses
incurred for the transportation to
a mental institution prior to that
date shall be paid by the Depart
ment of Justice. After that date,
it becomes a territorial matter.
Location of the mental health
hospital was also discussed. Dr.
Bell stated the practice now is to
build adjacent to a city where
medical facilities are available. lie
said this may prove a difficult
problem, because of distances in
the territory. “Southeastern Alas
kans, for instance,” he said, “feel
that if the hospital is built in the
central area it would be' easier to
commit the patient to an institu
tion in the States.”
Another problem that was dis
cussed was the transfer of patients
now confined to Morningside to
Alaska again. Dr. Bell stated that
in some cases it would be best
that the patient remain where he
is. He cited a case of an Alaskan
who have been confined since 1908.
There are 375 patients at Morning
side from the territory, the Doctor
stated.
The two men were accompanied
at the Council meeting by Miss
Dalton, Island Health Nurse.
NOTICE
Alaska Transfer is now iocated
in the former Shore Patrol Head
quarters building at the corner of
Brooklyn Ave. and Base road, tfn
Game Night at VFW Club every
Friday night.
THE RENDEZVOUS
MIDDLE BAY
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The Government demands we Guarantee the Inner F'aeilities
before they Build the Small Boat Harbor.
With the Sales Tax we can Black Top Mission and Mill Bay
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With continued effort, our Airport is a good Possibility
tfe s4yutend a*td cutif o£ tfeir 'Paid <vfe ctou t life Cun, *7<mo*i
*7ra*idjhortatuM, via our (£ra& ^oatd TfortA or SoutA.
VOTE FOR
Pete Deveau
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