Equipment ashore 4 - Reuse of swabs 1950s
George Hampton
Service: 1949 - 1979
Rate: Warrant Officer Sick Berth Attendant
George joined the Navy as a Sick Berth Attendant (SBA) in March 1949 and specialised in operating theatre work. He served in Royal Naval Hospital Portland and in RNH Bighi in Malta. Whilst serving at Malta he embarked in HMS Daring in order to provide humanitarian relief after an earthquake on the Greek island of Cephalonia.
George recalls the reuse of dressings and equipment in 1950s.
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Extract Text (Duration 0.51)
Swabs in those days had to be made, we used to make the swabs, fold the swabs from rolls of gauze, cut them and fold them, pack them and sterilise them. Syringes used to be washed and dried and then autoclaved. Abdominal packs, unfortunately, were used again after being washed, but in the present situations obviously they're... everything is disposable and new swabs and syringes, etc, are used once and then discarded.
Nobody would do that these days 1960s
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