PAGE 12, WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, J ULY 8, 1987 By BRIAN WINTER At Whitby General Hospital, Don Hall is the watchdog over all products. used in the facility, from tongue depressors to X-Ray machines. Since July 1980, Hall has been in charge of the,purchasing and stores department of the hospital. In this position he is responsible for pur- chasing, shipping and receiving and distribution of products to user departments. He handles everything except drugs, food and maintenance supplies. As watchdog, he has to be sure that all products shipped to the hospital match the products that were ordered. He has to make sure that the hospital never runs out of essential supplies, but, if this does happen, he always has an alternate source available from which he can make a quick order. If a hospital department has a complaint about a product, it's Don's responsibility to resolve that complaint with the supplier. "There were only three occasions since I came here when products didn't work," he says, which he considers a good record. Hall must make himself aware of any "Medic Alert" information from Health and Welfare Canada or a supplier, warning of defective products. "I have to see if we have any of these products and get replacemen- ts," he says. "Five years ago several nunibers of needles and syringes were recalled, but we did not have any of these lots.", In his office he has catà logues from at least 150 suppliers, from as nearby as downtown Whitby or as far away as Massachusett. "We try to get the best possible products and the most up-to-date Don Hall - product watchdog DON HALL equipment," he says. "All new suppliers are asked for a catalogue." Hall investigates all new produc- ts coming into the hospital and in- terviews the suppliers' represen- tatives. Hall also chairs the product evaluatiori committee. He negotiates contracts, sends out requests for quotations, expedites orders and prices requisitions. Most companies.ship their goods to the hospital in 18-wheel trucks, although some materials are sent by courier. Hall meets the truckrjat the door and helps unload the sup- plies. When it comes to returning items that have passed their ex- piry date, he has'to be sure all in- formation is ready for the supplier and the items are packaged safely. If the hospital lab sends microscope slides to other hospitals, Hall is responsible for shipping them. In his large storage room on the ground floor of the hospital are racks filled with a great variety of supplies, needles, syringes, ban- dages, sponges, X-Ray film, splinting material, sutures, stapes, even tooth brushes, combs and paper clips. In the inventory recor- ds there is a list of two or three supi pliers of each product, so there is always an alternate source available. When a user department wants supplies, a requisition is sent to Hall, who picks out the required items and puts them on a cart. Sin- ce the end of March, he has taken over the cart distribution system from Central Service. Once a week he sends up a supplementary car, of goods to supply 10 smaller carts oh the wards. - He keeps perpetual inventories of minimum and maximum quantities of supplies so he can always be ready to re-order when he is close to minimum levels.. "If a product reaches minimum quantity, I check all products from that supplier so we can order all products from one supplier at on- ce." Occassionally there will be an or- der for capital equipment, such as an X-Ray machine, but these are one-time orders. On a day-to-day basis, the medical supplies used on the wards are the items most frequently ordered. Hall is finding his new work of supplying the exchange carts of particular interest for he is seeing many of the products used by the hospital for the first time. Under the old system, all he saw were pic- tures in catalogues and goods packed in boxes. Now he takes the things out of the boxes before distribution and finds it "amazing to see the actual products." Any patient who needs a ban- dage, a tongue depressor or even a drinking cup can be assured that it has been approved by Hall's careful eye. Lumber load is spilled A 25-year-old Willowdale man has been charged with careless driving after the tractor trailer he was driving tipped over and spilled a load of lumber on Anderson St. Saturday morning. Police say the tractor trailer was eastbound on Dundas St. E. when the driver attempted to make a lef t hand turn onto Anderson St. Police say Anderson St. was closed while the lumber was removed fr'om the road. Charged with careless driving is Robert. Gledhill, 25, of Willowdale. There were no injuries in the in-~ cident.