Urgent Need: Medical Supplies for Providers
CALL FOR HELP
This week, I have had too many of my health care family test positive for COVID-19 and/or sent home for 5-14 days of self-quarantine because they were exposed to the coronavirus without complete protection. The CDC has loosened guidelines in order to allow us to keep working, no matter what the cost to us or our families. Make no mistake, we carry the greatest risk of exposure.
Working in the ER, I can assure we that we are in dire need of PPE (personal protective equipment). Asking a medical provider to wear a surgical mask and goggles is akin to asking a soldier to fight with a bow and arrow.
Our government officials have been unforgivably slow with getting us the protective equipment we need therefore we have decided to take matters into our own hands. The CDC has issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for filtering facepiece respirators. A large industrial construction vendor has sold me and 4 of my colleagues 500 NIOSH, LPR-100 masks at $40/mask. We have used our own funds to purchase $20,000 worth of masks and hope to find more.
“How can we help?” THIS IS HOW. If we don’t protect our healthcare workers now, there will be nobody left when you or your loved ones need medical service.
Every dollar we raise will go towards purchasing additional masks, gloves, N95, and gowns. Thanks and Prayers are sweet, but what we really need is supplies to protect ourselves. These supplies will be distributed to our Chicagoland/Midwest
health care workers in need.
As a husband and father of a 1 and 2 year-old, I know it is difficult to stay at home. But just remember, as health care workers, it is our duty and obligation to work and we are just praying that we don’t bring this virus home to our families.
Please help us provide every healthcare provider with the protective equipment they need to keep their patients, their families, and themselves safe. Then we can talk about how we played our part in this fight. Actions speak louder than our words.
Please click on the link below and please feel free to forward this on.
Thank you,
Scott R. Samlan, MD, FACEP
