TRANSFER OF PATIENTS
FROM BLOCKADED WESTERN BERLIN. (Rec. 9.20 a.m.) BERLIN, Jan. 11. Allied airlift planes to-day began evacuating the first, of nearly 1500 seriously ill tuberculosis patients from blockaded Western Berlin to hospitals'in Western Germany. First group of 60 patients left R.A.F. airport at Gatow and another 60 are scheduled to fly to-morrow. Arrangements have been made to place, them in hospitals at Goslar, Brunswick and Ham- ,■ burg in the British zone. The evacuation of the 1500 is expected to be completed within two months. Major Richard Paine (American Military Government Public Health Chief) said that the patients evacuated had agreed to stay in Western Germany for the duration of the blockade or for a minimum of six months. They were being 'evacuated because of the shortage of coal for heating caused by the Russian blockade and to free the sorely needed hospital beds. The Allied authorities estimate that there are about 14,000 cases of active tuberculosis in Western Germany. There has never been sufficient hospital space since the war to accommodate all who needed treatment.
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Bibliographic details
Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 78, 12 January 1949, Page 3
Word Count
177TRANSFER OF PATIENTS Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 78, 12 January 1949, Page 3
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