HOSPITAL KITCHEN

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 247, 20 October 1942, Page 6

HOSPITAL KITCHEN

EXTENSION DECIDED ON CHARGE ON WAR EXPENSES ACCOUNT. NEW LAUNDRY FOR HOLMDALE. Flans for an enlargement of the kitchen at the Wairau Hospital — work which has been made necessary by the increased use of the institution — were discussed by the Hospital Board at some length yesterday afternoon, and were adopted. A buiiding committee report stated that it had been ciecided that ' the extension should take place on the west side of the existing kitchen. The new kitchen would have approximately 1250 square feet of floor space, plus a cook's room, compared with the present kitchen and seullery of approximately 550 square feet. Amongst other alterations it was recorded that the present kitchen store be enlarged and bays provided; that a domestic staff change-room and a porters' dining-room to accommodate about eight persons be provided, together with a vegetable store and preparation room. It was pointed out that under this plan the present buiiding did not require so much structural alteration. It would be possible, also, to retain the present kitchen until the majority of the alterations were complete. The plans submitted were adopted by the Board. The Buiiding Committee further recommended that a new laundry be erected at Holmdale. The engineer had submitted an amended plan for a buiiding 20ft x 22ft, comprising washing room, drying room and ironing room. Complete with heating unit, plumbing, electrical fittings, etc., it was estimated that this could be erected for approximately AOOO. A recommendation that this be gone on with was adopted. In regard to the question of the cost of the work it was reported that a letter from the Department of Health indicated that the Board would have to provide- for the whole cost of nurses' home, dining-room and kitchen alterations and extensions, in addition to the cost of tutorial unit and laundry unit buildings and necessary fittings, furnishings and equipment for all the buildings.

The Buiiding Committee recommended that the Board take up the question of the cost of the dining and kitchen extensions with the department with a view to having the necessary finance provided by the War Expenses Account. This course was decided upon. The chairman (Mr A. J. H. Gavin) said the Buildihg Committee had put a lot of hard work and thinking into the job, which had occupied many days. As far as the kitchen w;as concerned four different sketch plans had been considered. A good deal of money was involved, but the expenditure was necessary because of the fact that they were going to have Service patients in the new ward and it was necessary on that account to have everything prepared ahead. Mr C. Nees said he disagreed with the proposal for the new Holmdale laundry. The present one had been rebuilt after the fire and was satisfactory. He thought they should save where they could and not spend £1000 needlessly. Replying, Mr Gavin pointed out that the occupied bed state at Holmdale had increased from flve or six to 11. That meant that about double the laundry work was being handled. Mr C. E. Townshend said the present laundry buiiding was neither efficient nor sufficient. Women were working there in a temperature of 100 degrees and the Board had been told by the Department that the conditions were impossible and that a larger laundry was necessary. The present buiiding would be used for staff accommodation. Mr T. C. Prichard agreed that the present buiiding was not fit for women to work in. Mr Gavin: If we are not prepared to give the staff reasonable conditions of work we don't deserve to get a staff. A tribute to the work put in by the Buiiding Committee was paid by Mr C. F. A. Whiteford.