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Show Polio Foundation Asks Dimes and Dollars Now to Pay for Patient Care in Epidemic of Infantile Paralysis Thoroughout Country With thousands of children and adults in hospitals today as the result of current widespread polio epidemics, and with as many new cases likely to develop de-velop in the months just ahead, the National Foundation for Infantile In-fantile Paralysis has launched a Polio Epidemic Emergency Drive to provide immediate funds for patient care. The price-tag on this year's epidemic will be so enormous, according to Basil O'Connor, Naitonal Foundation President, that $14,500,000 must be raised to meet the national polio bill. During 1948, when there were 27,908 cases in the country, the. highest number since the record total in 1916, the National Foundation Foun-dation and its Chapters spent $17,000,000 in March of Dimes funds to provide epidemic services, serv-ices, he said. With even more cases this year, it looks as though it may cost $25,000,000 in 1949 to pay for that part of medical and hospital care which families fami-lies cannot pay themselves. By the end of August, as much money had been advanced in epidemic aid to National Foundation Foun-dation Chapters whose March of Dimes funds have been exhausted exhaust-ed by the cost of care as was sent in all of 1948. The nation's total number of cases now is as large as a full year's toll in previous pre-vious years, with predictions for at least double that number before be-fore December 31. Furthermore, it is estimated that a minimum of $5,000,000 will be required to continue helping 1948 patients who still need clinic or hospital treatment treat-ment The National Foundation gives assistance as long as medical medi-cal care is necessary, regardless regard-less of age, race, creed or color. The money raised in the Polio Epidemic Emergency Drive will be used exclusively for services to polio patients in all states, Mr. O'Connor said. Contributions may be mailed to POLIO, care of your local Post Office. "This emergency drive is our only hope of providing care for patients without slowing up scientific sci-entific research and professional education programs of the National Na-tional Foundation," Mr. O'Connor O'Con-nor explained. "It is an ironical fact that this heavy incidence, severely taxing March of Dimes resources, comes at a time when the nation's leading scientists are more hopeful of finding an answer an-swer to the problem than ever before. "Scientists working under 68 March of Dimes grants at top medical and educational institu-tions institu-tions are waging the largest research re-search attack ever attempted against a single disease in this country, supported by March of Dimes funds. We must not interrupt inter-rupt the search for a solution because of lack of funds. We must and we shall be able to do both jobs help pay for the care of the stricken while finding a means of prevention or control con-trol if the American people contribute now to carry the work through until the next March of Dimes in January." Progress since 1938 when the National Foundation was formed, was indicated by Mr. O'Connor as follows: More than $23,500,000 has gone into a comprehensive research and education program, seeking control of polio and training of experts virologists, orthopedists, orthoped-ists, pediatricians, public health physicians, nurses, physical therapists, ther-apists, and other medical workers work-ers who make up the professional profes-sional army now battling the disease in laboratories and hospital hos-pital wards. At least $58,000,000 had gone for patient care, prior to 1949, in payment of polio bills families could not meet themselves; in staffing and equipping polio centers cen-ters for modern care and treatment, treat-ment, in establishing equipment depots in six strategic locations throughout the country from . which respirators, hot pack machines, ma-chines, beds, cribs and other emergency supplies can be rapidly rap-idly dispatched to hard-hit areas. I "We know now that fully 75 I of those stricken make good 1 recoveries if good treatment is available," Mr. O'Connor said. "Surely no one would deny a child a three-to-one chance for recovery because of lack of money." The address is POLIO, care of your local Post Office. Send as much as you can-as can-as fast as you can today! |
