European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 19, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes tuesday november 19, 1985 Navy converting 2 Oil tankers into hospitals san Diego a two Oil tankers Are being converted into floating Navy hospitals that will be the largest such facilities in the world capable of handling 1,000patients each during War and natural disasters officials say. The tankers each As Long u three football Fields we rebuilt in 1975 and once carried 90.000 Gallons each of thick crude Oil. The National steel and shipbuilding co. Mishandling their conversion and work is seven months ahead t f schedule according to Fred Hallett i senior vice presi Dent at the company. Hallett said the transformation of the mercy is expected to be finished in july. A  operating rooms laboratories and a Ray machines have already been installed on the ship Hallett said. Conversion of the second ship the Comfort is expected by december 1986. About half the company s 5,300 employees Are working on the Hospital ships one of which will be stationed on the East coast and the other on the West coast. The Navy does not have any Hospital ships now. Thelast one in service was the Sanctuary built in 1944 and last used in 1975. Remain at its Home port with less than its full medical staff. It will take five Days for medical personnel to gather and the ship to be readied for a Mission. Each ship will in addition to 12 operating rooms the ships will contain intensive care decontamination and other medical areas. Also included will be a Library gymnasium and physical therapy Center dental and eyeglass centers and a Beauty and Barber shop. Additional Power generating units have been added and there is an evaporator to turn 75,000 Gallons of seawater Day into fresh water. In addition to bottled oxygen both ships will be Able to manufacture medical  f d except for t couple of training voyages each ship will ships will be Able to manufacture medical oxygen. Safes can limit contingency fees for lawyers Washin Rinn f adn ,n,.fv � r.,.4 in. Bmn.,tto. .i., Teini ii a in ung not pin tiled to a Federal court hearing to  a the supreme court Mon Lay allowed Stales to limit the fees people who win medical malpractice lawsuits May pay their lawyers. The Justice citing the Lack of a substantial  let stand a 1975 California Law that imposes such limits. The Law was challenged As an infringement of free speech rights because it bars people who sue for medical malpractice from spending Money As they wish for constitutionally protected  the Law at Issue passed by the California legislature alone response to the medical malpractice insurance crisis of the 1970s, states that a lawyer s contingency fee payment in a malpractice Case May not exceed certain percentages. The Law allows a 40 percent fee for the first $50,000recovered by a plaintiff one third of the next $50,000 25 percent of the next $100,000 and 10 percent of any additional amount Over $200,000. The controversy acted on monday has its roots in lawsuit filed in san Joaquin county by Frank and Yvonne Roa in behalf of their son Frank Joseph Roa. The suit against the Lodl medical group and or. Gor Don b. Roget alleged medical malpractice in treatment and care during the child s birth. The suit was settled before trial when the defendant agreed to pay $495,000 to the child and $5,000 to the parents. Under California Law lawyer fees May be spent from lawsuit recovery obtained in settlement of � child s claim Only if a court approves. So the Roas asked permission Topay their lawyer 25 percent of their son s recovery about the couple had contracted with the lawyer to pay that endless summer a com a Durfer tipping pal a body enjoys water temperature of around 65 degree offshore of cart Ibad Calif. Pleasant Sway weather in Slatken California hat been around 70 degrees recently. Amount but the state trial judge invoked the state Law i ordering that the lawyer fee not exceed $90,800. The California supreme court by a 4-3 vote upheld the 1975 Law. The state court said the Law was rationally aimed a preserving a larger share of recovered malpractice awards for those actually injured and at reducing medical Mal practice insurance costs. In other action the court agreed to review recent Federal Laws that Cut food supreme court Roundup stamp costs by limiting eligibility for family members who live together but May maintain separate households under the same roof. The court will hear a Reagan administration Appeal of Federal judge s ruling that blocked the government from cutting food stamp benefits for four Texas families. Ruled that Federal judges generally May not Force the Federal government to pay to Transfer state prison mates to Federal court proceedings. In an 8-1 ruling in a Pennsylvania Case the court said there u no statutory authority for a Federal judge to order . Marshals to take custody of state prisoners outside the Federal courthouse during the Normal course of producing state prisoner witnesses for trial. Ruled against a convicted Arkansas murderer who pleaded guilty after he was misinformed by his lawyer Asto when be would be eligible for parole. By a 9-0 vote the court said that William Lloyd Hill was not entitle t g determine whether his guilty plea was based As he claimed on the ineffective assistance of his lawyer. Allowed Indiana s current redistricting plan to be used for the state s 1986 legislative elections. The justices granted an emergency request by Indian officials that the current plan remain in effect next year while the court considers whether the districts Are valid. In the Appeal acted on monday in the medical malpractice Case lawyers for the Road said the California Law suffers from a Lack of due regard for the reality that the activity regulated is intertwined with protected  the Appeal likened the challenged Law to previously invalidated Federal Laws that limited the amounts individuals May spend in presidential elections and How much Money a charitable organization could spend in soliciting contributions. The questions of How much should be spent on whom and for what purpose Are questions that individual citizens exercising their rights of speech and petition Are constitutionally entitled to answer for themselves without meddling by even a Well meaning government the appeals id. It said similar Laws were invalidated in new Hampshire and Pennsylvania. On oct. 15, the supreme court allowed California to impose a $250,000 limit on the amount a victim of medical malpractice May recover for non economic losses. Justices William j. Brennan and Byron  White vote to hear arguments in the Appeal acted on monday but four votes Are needed to Grant such review. Task Force suggests ways to Cut infant mortality rates in South Washington a a group of officials from the South concerned with High infant mortality rates in their Region monday recommended setting up health clinics fourteen age mothers and expanding welfare benefits to the needy. The suggestions were put Forth in a report released bythe Southern regional task Force on infant mortality formed in 1984 with the support of the Southern Gover nors association. Chaired by South Carolina gov. Dick Riley the taskforce looked at ways to reduce infant mortality rates in the South which arc higher than in other regions. In 1982, for instance 17,971 Southern babies died i their first year. The infant mortality rate in the South was 12.7 per 1,000 live births compared with 11.5 percent forthe nation As a whole. Riley urged action to change that saying we must incorporate the recommendations contained in this report into the fabric of our everyday  the report said spending Money on mothers and their babies would actually save the government Money in the Long run. Statistics reveal that prenatal and infant car can save $2 to $10 for every $1 invested it said. Changes in the welfare program or Aid to families with dependent children were also advised. Some of the changes involve action by Federal or the state  recommendations included extending eligibility for Ardc and medicaid. The health program for the poor to families with two Able bodied Parent in the House. Setting up a special indigent care program to pay for health care for mothers and children who Are not getting medicaid. � � establishing a Universal prenatal and infant care financing system in which every needy pregnant woman and child can receive care. The report also suggested that Congress approve More Money for the women infants and children program. A lrl.lo.n., lha s currently serving Only one third of the eligible women and children in the South because teen age mothers frequently risk having Low  a wily immature pregnant it a poor. Unmarried uneducated and lets Likely to have Good health habits the report said. Cherokee nation to have woman chief Tahlequah okla. A a woman is in line to takeover for the first time As chief of the Cherokee nation. Deputy principal chief Wilma Mankiller will automatically become principal chief and fill out the remaining two years of chief Ross swimmer s four year term As soon Aslie receive Senate approval to Bead the Bureau of Indian affairs. Swimmer was named to the Post by president Reagan on sept. 26. And confirmation u expected by year s end. The slowness of the Senate Progress on swimmer nomination gives tribe members time to adjust to the idea a pc n chief says Mankiller who was elected Deputy principal chief in 1 983. ". Rea do Vyford i a  have slated they Are ready for female leadership. It s no longer a major  major issues Are poverty health and education