Local hospitals are about to receive much needed medical supplies thanks to the School of Health & Life Sciences at Conestoga College.
The supplies, which include much needed N95 masks, gloves, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) would normally have been used by the students in health care programs. The college recognized that they had access to many of the items that are in short supply and needed for the front line health workers.
College President John Tibbits said, “Sharing our resources to protect front-line workers and provide additional capacity for hospitals in this time of crisis is one of the ways that Conestoga is making a difference in the fight against this global pandemic.”
The college is also sharing ventilators, hospital and long-term care beds, stretchers, mattresses and a variety of care equipment that is needed to flatten the curve and keep our communities safe from COVID 19.
Executive Dean of Conestoga’s School of Health & Life Sciences Veronique Boscart told campus news, “It’s quite wonderful to see the community coming together in this effort,” she said, “It’s in times like this we really need to support each other.”
The ventilators, one of the most sought after items that are in short supply, will be distributed to the areas that have the most urgent need, while the rest of the supplies will be shared between local hospitals including Grand River and St. Mary’s, in Kitchener/Waterloo, Cambridge Memorial, and Guelph General.
Stage Door Transportation, a family-run trucking company based out of Ayr, Ont., has volunteered to distribute these supplies free of charge.
CEO of the company, Melissa McNamara told Spoke news in a telephone interview that her father, Paul McNamara had begun to collect and deliver donated items for the hospitals in his pick-up truck.
Once the need grew larger and they heard that Conestoga was going to be donating these items, they collectively agreed to provide the transportation for the college.
“We weren’t looking to get credit for it, “McNamara said. “We have the trucks and are happy to be able to put them to use in these dark times.”
“These are extraordinary times, and we all need to step up and contribute to the greater good.” – John Tibbits
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