Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health is seeking donations of personal protective equipment for its healthcare providers. The hospital system is looking for more hand sanitizer, face masks and gloves as it prepares for an influx of patients with COVID-19.
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Dave Coombs is the supply chain manager at Dartmouth Hitchcock in Lebanon. He says at the moment, they are still getting shipments of personal protective equipment, but without knowing how long this pandemic will stretch, having more supplies on hand will be useful.
“Anything can help. If there are supplies in your cabinet or the backroom of your business, that you can donate all of that will make it better for us to care for our patients and keep our staff safe,” he said.
The World Health Organization says that the current global stockpile of PPE is insufficient, particularly for medical masks and respirators; and it expects that the supply of gowns and goggles to be insufficient soon.
So far, the biggest response has come from quilting and sewing groups, Coombs said.
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“They’re waiting for us to get them a pattern and tell them what kind of fabric they can make protective masks out of,” he said. “They’re telling us they can make them by the thousands.”
Donations can be dropped off in Lebanon at 50 N. LaBomard Road or at 100 Hitchcock Way in Manchester. The equipment will be distributed among the various hospitals in the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health network.
