Hospital Rejects War Injury Plan

Cambridge City Hospital (CCH) is the first Harvard-affiliated hospital to decide not to participate in the Defense Deaprtment plan to make hospital beds available in case of a war involving U.S. troops overseas because participation "could be interpreted as pro-nuclear," a member of the hospital's planning board said yesterday.

The Civilian-Military Contingency Hospital System (CMCHS) is a plan for domestic hospitals to work with the Defense Department to be prepared for casualties from a conflict which "would begin and end very rapidly and produce casualties at a higher rate than any other war in history."

Judith F. Olson, a member of the house planning board, called the decision a philosophical one and based it on "the tenor and kind of people in Cambridge." However, another member of the board said that the small size of CCH and a desire not to make a decision which might be interpreted as unpatriotic and alienate certain members of the community also influenced the board's decision.

Cambridge City Councilor David A. Wvlie applauded the board's decision and said that "until this country is prepared to make serious nuclear arms reductions no one should be cooperating with the federal government."

Of all the Harvard-affiliated hospitals, only Brigham and Women's Hospital has decided to participate in the program and has committed 50 beds. Beth Israel and New England Deaconess hospital have decided not to participate directly in the CMCHS but have made unofficial commitments of 105 and 25 beds for the use in a national emergency.

The board met on Nov. 4, and the Commissioner of Health and Hospitals delivered the boards decision to the city manager who approved it last week.