The Hindu : Making a fast buck out of murky linen at MCH

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 21, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

Making a fast buck out of murky linen at MCH

By M. Dinesh Varma

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Sept. 20. With the power laundry section at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital (MCH) slowly heading towards obsolescence due to the apathy of officials, outsourcing of murky linen pieces from the MCH and SAT Hospital is turning out to be a money-spinner for an opportunistic group operating on the campus.

The power laundry unit comprises five washing machines, six dryers and three hydro-extractor units and two sluicing equipment for wringing clothes. At least four of the major equipment are of 1957 Danish-make with the installed capacity of the machines varying from 30 kg to 130 kg.

However, of the estimated output of 600 pieces per day from the MCH and SAT Hospital, roughly half the quantity was currently being collected, delivered and cleansed at the power laundry. The rest of the linen output, ranging from bedsheets to theatre aprons, was being outsourced to a local lobby of dhobis who allegedly charge Rs. 7 per piece through a network of persons, which include hospital insiders.

The outsourcing of soiled linen is done citing the poor state of most machines in the laundry unit. Most of the machines, including four washing machines and three dryers, are either in disrepair or in urgent need for renovation.

According to sources, the administration was now spending around Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 40,000 a month for outsourcing the work. It is being pointed out that ploughing back a part of the money — now being drained away for outsourcing dhobi works — into upgrading the power laundry machinery could increase the capacity utilisation of the unit.

A section of the staff at the power laundry unit says that though the average linen output had been averaging around 400 pieces, the net capacity could be increased to even 1,000 pieces a day with some investment on upgrading the unit.

A senior hospital administrator, when contacted, said that in a cost-benefit analysis it was proving to be more economical to outsource the work rather than finding funds for upkeep or modernisation of the obsolete unit.

It is also pointed out that with the staff at the power laundry being appointees of the Health Services, the MCH administration was powerless in dealing with any act of indiscipline relating to this section of employees.

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