}

WORLD

In the GDR itis policy to
have more beds than patients

BERLIN — Charité is the GDR’s
largest hospital, premier medical center
and the heart of its system of medical
schools.

With 16 different specialized medical
institutes, Charité is continuing its long
tradition as one of Europe’s most ad-
vanced research centers, a tradition
which stretches back to 1810 when it be-
came Humboldt University’s medical
division.

Charite continues s tradition as one of
Europe’s most advanced research cen-
_ ters.

Among its research-activities is AIDS.
This disease is being jointly. studied by
the Institutes of Virology and
Immunology.

As of June 1987, there have been 24
recorded cases of AIDS in the GDR, the
vast majority of whom are homosexuals
and two of whom have died. The number
of AIDS cases is low for two main
reasons.

Firstly, social conditions militate
against the spread of the disease. Homo-
sexuals are not treated as social outcasts
and enjoy the same material and health
conditions as heterosexuals. The disease
is not spread through infected hypo-
dermic needles because drug abuse in-
volving the repeated use of the same
needle is virtually non-existant.

Secondly, the medical system is
geared to act immediately and thorough-
ly when medical problems arise. No
sooner is the nature of a disease known,
then the entire medical system is put into
action. Blood’is very carefully tested for
the AIDS virus. Those requiring frequent
blood transfusions (about 1,300 GDR
citizens) are known and carefully moni-
tored.

_The GDR medical profession is con-
vinced that their high standards and the
efficiency of the medical care system will
prevent any rapid increase in the number
of AIDS cases in the foreseeable future.

In addition to its 4,400 medical and
paramedical students, Charité employs
5,407 persons and has 2,089 beds at its
disposal. In 1986, it had 44,251 hospital-
ized patients, 248,146 registered out-
patients, 878,262 outpatient consulta-
tions and 38,200 operations were per-
formed, half of which required the hos-
pitalization of the patients.

Before World War-II, there was one
nurse for every 24 patients, but now

vanHouten

From
Berlin

Gerry

there is one nurse for every four patients.
I asked Siegfried Vogel, vice-director
of medical care, if the hospital suffered a
shortage of funds due to cutbacks or for
any other reason. He replied no. The
GDR Ministry of Health provided 23 mil-
lion marks to Charité in 1986 for medical
care and research. It was enough to en-
sure that not only were there no
economic problems but all medical ser-
vices could be provided free as well.
In Canada, beds and even whole wings
of hospitals have been closed down as
so-called ‘‘cost-cutting’’ measures. In

‘contrast, GDR hospitals, including

Charité, are increasing the number of
available beds. As Vogel emphasized,
‘‘it is never a question of whether a bed is
available.’ It is policy to have more beds
than patients.

I toured, at my own request, depart-
ments of the hospital devoted to the care
of children and to maternity. I was im-
pressed. Doctors, nurses and other hos-
pital workers were in plentiful supply.
The atmosphere was relaxed but also vig-
ilant just in case a patient took a sudden
turn for the worse.

How is all this possible? The answer is
clear. The GDR’s socialist government
spares no money or effort to provide its
citizens with the best in advanced medi-
calcare. Here, government decisions are
directed toward satisfying the needs of
the people, not the profits of corpora-
tions.

Conditions
worsen in

refugee camps

BEIRUT — Palestinian refugee
camps in Beirut and Tyre,
especially the Chafal camp, con-
tinue to suffer as a result- of the

- siege, according to Palestine

Liberation Organization.
Embargos of food, medicines
and building materials, as well as
prohibition of entrance to interna-
tional aid workers into the camps
are causing extreme suffering, the
PLO says. It charges that the aim
is to conquer the camps through
‘hunger, thirst and disease as part
of the policy to expel Palestinians
from Lebanon.

Panel set up to
monitor peace

plan

CARACUS — A high level, 15
person, 13-nation panel to
monitor the. Central American
peace plan has been set up which
includes the five Central Ameri-
can states which signed the pact,
the Contadora members and its
support group plus represent-
atives of the United Nations and
the Organization of American
States.

‘*There is a willingness of all of
us to comply with the accord,”
Nicaragua’s Foreign Minister
Rev. Miguel d’Escoto told the
press, ‘“‘but we hope the United
States will change its attitude and
give peace a chance in Central
America.”

Reagan, while publicly saying
he supports the peace process in

the region, has pledged to fight for
continued contra aid when the

. current funding expires Sept. 30.

An end to contra attacks are a key
ingredient to the peace plan’s
chances for success.

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS Tom Morris

Has he lied
to them before?

Reagan has a real problem in
Central America following the
signing by the five regional
states of the Arias peace plan.

First, he took a smack in the
face when the five presidents
signed their own plan, in effect
rejecting one he had advanced
just days earlier. Reagan’s plan
included the unacceptable de-
mand that the Sandinista

government negotiate with the
contra mercenaries, a demand
no self-respecting government
could agree to. Washington, of
course, knew that, but wasn’t
prepared for what happened
next.

While Reagan posed for pic-

tures with contra leaders in the |

White House, the five Central
American presidents were
signing the Arias plan in
Guatemala City.

So the contras (‘‘Reagan’s

Nancy,
| can't sleep.
Those damn
hearings...
getting closer...

What can| do?

Take the
sleeping pills
you use when
you are at work.

K Goldberg

clowns’’, as Nicaraguan Presi-
dent Ortega calls them) are left
high and dry — along with their
Commander-in Chief.

That’s why we hear Reagan
pledging his undying love and
devotion to this sleazy band of
criminals he has staked his
reputation on. Only one day
after the Arias plan was signed,
Reagan said he intends to tor-
pedo it by pressing Congress
for more contra funding. He
repeated this threat a week la-
ter. Then he taped a three mi-
nute message to be played di-
rectly to the contras on their
‘‘secret’’ radio station, repeat-
ing his love and affection.

If I were a contra, Id start
looking for new friends.

Is it a banana?
A deodorant?

This military-minded presi-
dent appears to have more ar-
mies than most of his pre-
decessors.

In addition to being able to
cavort about as Commander-
in-Chief of the mighty United
States Armed Forces and act
as mascot for the contras,
Reagan also has other secret
armies which are now coming

to light.
While you might think Yellow

Fruit is a banana, it’s really a
top-secret U.S. military
counter-insurgency unit. So is
the less alluring Task Force 160.
And Seaspray isn’t an under-
arm deodorant. It’s another
super-secret military unit or-
ganized by sections of the U.S.
Army and the CIA.

According to a Time maga-
zine investigation, these and
other secret forces were in-
volved in operations aimed far
and wide: against Nicaragua
_and El Salvador, against Laos
and Iran. They worked on cap-
ers called Honey Badger and
had agents in places like
Morocco, Nigeria, Somalia
and throughout Latin Ameri-
ca. Tens of millions were
siphoned off to pay for their
activities.

But, as it turns out, they
were a bust. ‘“‘The units still
exist,’’ one source told Time,
“but their morale ... is in
shambles.’’ Some officers stole
money and are in jail, others
soldier on undaunted.

Reagan’s White House is a
play pen. While he jerks
around, serious things are tak-
ing place. Secret armies are
formed. Parallel governments
operate. Nameless freaks in

uniform run policy and opera-
tions.

All this, of course, is worthy
of a great president like Ronald
Wilson Reagan.

The art of
keeping secrets

The Irancontra scandal
showed Reagan was either (1)
lying when he said he didn’t
know what was happening, or
(2) really didn’t know and had
fallen asleep at the switch.
Either way, a parallel military
apparatus functioned in secret.

Now we learn other top-
secret military units of the
United States Army, with
secret funding, operate all over
the globe.

Last week Reagan finally
made a speech about military
secrecy.

He called for an end to
Soviet military secrecy!

Here’s a guy who attaches
contra aid bills to African aid
packages to get them through
Congress. Millions are stuffed
into Swiss accounts and doled
out to covert causes.

One thing isn’t a secret: It’s
time this dotty president was
put out to pasture.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE, SEPTEMBER 2, 1987 e 9