Langara College’s Nursing Lab and Health Services has donated personal protective equipment to Vancouver General Hospital.
The donation includes gloves, masks, protective clothing and other medical equipment.
A statement from the college said that “the donated equipment will be put to good use by keeping our health care workers safe while caring for infected patients.”
Thank you Langara’s Nursing Lab and Health Services for donating gloves, masks, protective clothing and other medical equipment to Vancouver General Hospital. The donated equipment will be put to good use by keeping our health care workers safe while caring for infected patients. pic.twitter.com/8R6VObXUUO
— Langara College (@langaracollege) March 25, 2020
The donation could not have come at a better time for frontline medical workers battling the COVID-19 pandemic. The province’s chief medical officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, announced at a March 25 press conference that due to increasing numbers of people in hospital, health care workers are experiencing shortages in personal protective equipment (P.P.E.).
“We understand the absolute need to keep people safe. But the ‘burn rate,’ as we call it, is much higher than we would have expected,” said Henry. “We’re at a bit of a critical phase with personal protective equipment. This happened quite quickly.”
The province is currently waiting on shipments of P.P.E. and exploring ways to prolong the use of existing equipment as current stocks dwindle.
“It’s a reflection of how challenging it is for health care workers who feel very vulnerable — as we are — working in these situations, worrying about getting sick ourselves, worrying about passing it on to our families, our homes, but also being able to care for people effectively,” said Henry. “That’s our wicked problem.”
Everyone working in professions that use P.P.E., such as vets, dentists, construction workers, tattoo artists and beauticians, have been called upon to donate all unused equipment to help protect B.C.’s health care workers as they struggle to contain COVID-19. Donations can be made through the website Mask A Hero.
