HOSPITAL LAUNDRY

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 April 1938, Page 5

HOSPITAL LAUNDRY

“POLITICAL INTERFERENCE.” [per press association.] AUCKLAND, April 26. “Because laundering at the Auckland Hospital is in a chaotic condition it has been found' necessary to clothe’ a number of men patients in women’s nightdresses.” This .statement, was made at a meeting of the Hospital Board by the chairman, the Rev. M 7. C. Wood, who deplored' what he termed “political interference” in the proposal to send- the laundry work of the institution to a private company. He said it had been impossible to have the required quantity of pyjamas washed and ironed under the existing system.

I At a meeting of the' Board last ■ month it was decided to accept the offer of a commercial undertake the whole of the washing for the Auckland! Hospital, as the board’s otvn laundry was obsolete and' inadequate To-day, however, a motion was, introduced by Mrs Dreaver to rescind' the earlier decision, which was intended Ito apply until a. new laundry tvas erected at the hospital. Mrs Dreaver considered that the Board had acted somewhat hastily in deciding to let out the Avork to a. private firm, and she suggested the possibility of leasing premises in tvliieh the Avork could be undertaken by the present hospital staff, with a much greater degree of efficiency than at present. “In this matter 1 think the Department of Health has acted most discourteously.” said Mr Wood. “Its representative was in Auckland for five- days, and an immediate report tvas promised. 1 have been told by the lady superintendent that the men have had to be put into women’s nightdresses, because it is not pos-! sibel to get pyjamas laundered, and she says conditions are chaotic.” Mr Wood declared that l those Avho were holding up the sane and* economic proposal to send out trashing to a. commercial concern had taken upon themselves a grave responisibllity. It tvas entirely a domestic matter, and the present position represented l one of the Avorst examples of political interference he knetv. He was l filled Avith indignation at the appalling situation which existed to-day. To hand over the laundry to a private firm for 18 months or two years 1 Avas giving- the Board a breathing space. It Avas asked. Avhether the board’s employees Avere Avilling to Avork for a commercial concern, but they did not OAvn the hospital. It Avas the board’s duty to conduct it AA-ith economy and 1 efficiency.

Replying Mrs Dreaver said she denied emphatically that it was l a political matter. It Avas a domestic question to 'which the board should have attended two years ago at least. Mrs Dreaver’s motion to rescind the previous resolution was lost, the mover and Mrs Anderton being its only supporters.