The Harlem News

Murray. Mansfield, Metcalf Concerned About Medical Services on Reservations

Montana Senators James E. Murray and Mike Mansfield and Congressman Lee Metcalf expressed their concern over 'the serious deficiencies in the health and medical services which are available to Montana's Indian population' in a letter to Marion B. Folsom, secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, the latter part of November.

The letter is as follows:

Dear Mr. Secretary:

As members of Montana's Congressional Delegation, we have for some years been gravely concerned over the serious deficiencies in health and medical services which were available to Montana's Indian population. As you know, the Congress last year transferred responsibility for providing those services from the Department of the Interior to the United States Public Health Service in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. We understand, of course, at that time that before the United States Public Health Service would be in a position to formulate a proper estimate of what would be needed to make available the type of health services to our Indian population which we, as a Nation, need not be ashamed of, the Service would need to gain some direct experience with the problem.

We assume that that period of time has now elapsed and that the Public Health Service has no doubt prepared and submitted for your approval its estimates of the types of services which should be provided; the degree to which they will be made available and the probable number of Indians who would be eligible for those services; the personnel which will be required to render them in each particular locale; the amount of new construction or reconstruction of facilities which is required and the budget which will be needed.

While our concern covers the entire Indian population of the United States we are, of course, best informed and most immediately concerned with the situation as it exists in Montana. We would appreciate it very much if you would send us as soon as possible a detailed statement as to the Department's plans for next year with respect to the provision of health and medical services to the Indians on each of the reservations in Montana.

We would appreciate it if this resume not only covered each of the points mentioned above but would also include a comparison between what the Department plans to make available in the way of services and the facilities it will undertake to begin constructing next year and the extent and scope of services, the number of personnel, the type and quality of facilities, and the expenditures for health and medical services with respect to each of the Montana reservations by the Bureau of Indian Affairs during the last year when it had the responsibility for offering such services.

Sincerely yours,

JAMES E. MURRAY, U.S.S.
MIKE MANSFORD, U.S.S.
LEE METCALF, M.C.