TIMARU HOSPITAL

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21819, 23 November 1940, Page 6

TIMARU HOSPITAL

New Kitchen Block Modern Equipment Plans Described Work will shortly be commenced on the construction of the new kitchen block at the Timaru Public Hospital which, fully equipped, is estimated to cost £22,440. The building, for which Mr A. Kennedy, of Timaru, was the successful tenderer, will be constructed in reinforced concrete, faced with brickwork to match the Surgical Block and the Power House. The existing kitchen block will be demolished and the new building, the average dimensions of which will be 76ft by 70ft, will be erected on the site. The South Canterbury Hospital Board has already arranged to provide a temporary kitchen where some of the new plant will be used until the new block is constructed. Thus, the normal services of the Hospital will not suffer interruption. Through the courtesy of the architects, Messrs Turnbull and Rule, a “Timaru Herald” reporter was shown the plans yesterday afternoon. The new block, which will take about seven or eight months to complete, will combine utility with efficiency, and will be the last word in kitchen equipment in the Dominion. The building will be connected with the main arterial corridor by a strong passage, off which opens a staff room, sewing room, maids’ duty office, and a staff room. The whole lay-out of the kitchen block has been designed for a logical movement of the food from the storerooms, through the preparation and cooking to the serving counter and into electrically heated trolleys and thence to the various wards. Food Storerooms The storerooms, which will be situated at the south side of the building, comprise a refrigerated section, including cool stores for fish, ice, milk and butter, with butchers’ and vegetable stores. From these stores the food is taken to the food and vegetable preparation room where the food is prepared for the ovens. The cooking will be done on a battery of three heat storage stoves which are arranged in the centre of the main kitchen floor. In addition a three-compartment steam oven, three steam cauldrons, a fish frier and a griller will be provided. This latter equipment will be fitted with a large glass canopy with exhaust fans to remove fumes. A pastry preparation room and a cool food preparation room will also be provided. A large diet kitchen, where special diets will be prepared, is equipped with a steam oven and a gas stove. A dietitian’s office, glassed in, will enable complete supervision of every part of the kitchen by the diet sister in charge. The food will be served in the main kitchen from a steam heated carving table and will be distributed from a serving counter into electrically heated food trolleys and delivered to the wards where they will again bb plugged in to electrical points to keep the food hot. In order to prevent traffic across the kitchen, a passage will be provided at one side leading to the back stores, and off this will open the maid’s dining room and the porters’ dining room, with a connecting servery between. A bread store and cutting room and a cook’s storeroom will also be provided. The main kitchen, trolley store and passages will be laid with special dark red quarry tiles, and the remaining offices and dining rooms will be laid with heavy quality battleship linoleum. The walls of the kitchens and food preparation rooms will be tiled to a height of six feet with glazed tiles,, and the remainder of the walls and ceilings will be enamelled with high gloss enamel. All corners, angles and coves will be rounded and every effort will be made to provide a thoroughly sanitary and easily cleaned building. Special Equipment The equipment has been very carefully selected with the object of securing maximum efficiency, lasting qualities and cleanliness. Most of the sink benches and services counters will be of stainless steel. Special sink benches in the meat and fish preparation rooms and cool food rooms and the shelves of the bread store will be carried out in cream marble terrazzo. Further equipment will include an up-to-date dish washing machine, electric refrigerator, bread cutting machine, meat slicing machine, batter mixer, potato peeling machine and tea and coffee urns. Two special pot sinks will be provided near the stoves. Constructed of heavy boiler plate they will be three feet long, by two feet wide and 15 inches deep, and will be made to a special design in order to withstand constant and heavy use. Movable draining benches and a pot rack will also be provided. Ample cupboard space will be a feature throughout the building. The main building will be one storey in height and the kitchen, in addition to being side-lit through large steel windows, will also be top-lit by means of skylights facing south which will give ample light and ventilation. The back part of the building will be two storeys and the upper storey will contain a large sitting room for maids, bedrooms for eight maids, locker room, linen room, two bathrooms and wash and toilet rooms. Each bedroom will be provided with a builtin wardrobe and dressing table. The sitting room will be completed with a large built-in sideboard and book shelves. The flooring will be laid out in battleship linoleum.