Planning and organization of the C. S. S. D

"Central Sterile Supply Department" is a service which caters to the needs of a hospital or a group of hospitals, for the supply of sterilized material. It aims at centralizing the activities of receipt, cleaning, assembly, sterilization, storage and distribution of reliably sterilized material from a central department, where bacteriologically safe sterilization practice is conducted under controlled conditions, adequate managerial and technical supervision and minimum cost. This article aims at describing the planning considerations and principles of organization of a Central Sterile Supply Department. It is hoped that the information thus contained will assist the Hospital Administrators to plan and organize such facilities in their hospitals.