A GRAVE SCANDAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 298, 17 December 1930, Page 6

A GRAVE SCANDAL.

The report of the Hospital House Committee on the condition of the Hospital kitchen, which whs discussed by the Board yesterday, is really a shocking disclosure. The expressions used, by the Chairman, Mr. Wallace, by the Rev. W. Wood, by Mrs. E. A. Kidd and other members, in describing the state of the kitchen and the conditions under which food is prepared there, ax*e so startling that nothing but the gravity of the situation could justify them. However, the confirmatory evidence is so strong that we must accept these "disgraceful" and "appalling" revelations as literally accurate, and the general public must draw its own conclusions. The Hospital Board has been urging the Department for years past to make better provision in this respect for the needs of the Hospital, but so far without success. There is probably a great deal in Mr. Savage's contention, that it is really impossible to keep such a building as the existing kitchen clean and sanitary, and there is ail the more need for instant action. We need hardly emphasise the painful, and even revolting, details of the report which appears in another column of this issue. It is sufficient to say that such a deplorable state of things not only constitutes a serious menace to the health of the patients and staff at the Hospital, but reflects discredit on the Hospital Board and the Department. No time should be lost and no effort should be spared in bringing the pressure of public opinion to bear upon the responsible authorities to induce them to take prompt and effective action.