Hospital Housekeeping by Charlotte A. Aikens

[Sidenote: The Problem of Waste]

Next in importance to the three vital questions which daily confront the hospital housekeeper, in common with other mortals-"What shall we eat, what shall we drink and wherewithal shall we be clothed? " comes the question of how to prevent waste of the money and materials supplied for carrying on the work of the hospital. Few institutions afford such abundant opportunities for waste, along so many different lines. The sources of leaks seem to be endless. The individuals who are responsible for waste may be found in all departments, and represent all degrees of intelligence. The varied composition of the hospital household, the emergencies of the life and the fact that of necessity in a hospital of even moderate size the work is divided into departments with separate heads, renders the problem of the prevention of waste exceedingly complicated. Then the lack of any thorough system of inspection, the loose method of keeping accounts, and rendering reports of expenditure and income, the absence of uniformity of methods, makes intelligent comparison with other institutions difficult, if not impossible. Because of these conditions, waste may constantly go on in an institution where apparently everyone is trying to be economical.