HOSPITAL LAUNDRY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 168, 16 July 1907, Page 3

HOSPITAL LAUNDRY.

The Inspector - General of Hospitals, reporting on the plans and specifications for the hospital laundry at the Board's meeting yesterday, stated that it was not, in his opinion, necessary for the board to undertake the expense of three sections for washing. It was time that some hospitals in the United Kingdom considered it necessary to keep apart various parts of the washing as realised by the Board's architect, but such was the exception rather than the rule, and could only be regarded as a nicety which an institution might embark which had plenty of funds. He agreed with the report of the committee, including the steam steriliser, and three, washing machines. eH did not consider the subchines. He did not consider the suba very great extent. At the Christchurch hospital where the laundry was , a very special feature, the washing was all done in one large room in which two washing machines were employed, together with a staff of one head woman, or girl for the week, two for four days, and one for three days of the week. In Wellington the mattresses were regularly disinfected in a steam disinfecter. He suggested that this be procured as it would be of much more material advantage than an elaborate building or the reduplication of machinery.

The architect reported that he had designed, a modern laundry, and while it was the exception to find a laundry similar to his design in England, this was due to the fact that the great majority of the hospitals had been built a considerable time, and both they and their laundries were out of date. When funds permitted, laundries similar to his design were being provided. He had included a steam disinfector in his plans.

The architect was instructed to prepare sketch plans on the lines suggested by the building committee and the In-spector-General for next meeting.