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Ryerson answers the call for personal protective equipment donations

Faculties make small and large donations of personal protective equipment (PPE) to frontline workers at local hospitals
By: Jessica Leach
April 14, 2020
boxes of masks, gloves and gowns in a nursing lab at Ryerson

Ryerson’s Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing donated thousands of items to local hospital partners St. Michael’s Hospital and the Scarborough Health Network-Rouge Valley. Photo: Susana Neves-Silva.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is necessary for health-care professionals and frontline workers to protect themselves from exposure to viruses like COVID-19. Due to high-use and high-demand, PPE has been in short supply to those who need it most during the pandemic.

Several departments, schools and faculties across the Ryerson campus have recognized this need and donated what they could in order to keep frontline workers safe.

Faculty of Community Services - Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing

The school was able to confirm inventory remotely, and then worked to collect 860 N95 masks and 170 disposable isolation gowns. The school was also able to donate thousands of protective gloves, wipes, soap and hand sanitizer.

Donations were delivered in-person, to St. Michael’s Hospital and the Scarborough Health Network-Rouge Valley.

Faculty of Community Services - School of Occupational and Public Health

boxes of equipment on a table

Ryerson’s School of Occupational and Public Health collected valuable N95 masks, gowns and gloves for donation. Photo: Thomas Tenkate.

The school made a small donation of spare personal protective equipment usually used for teaching demonstrations to Sunnybrook Hospital. “Since even small and older stores are needed at this critical time, all labs are encouraged to contact their local hospitals to offer donation,” said Professor Anne Harris.

Faculty of Science

The chemistry and biology departments rounded up 79,000 nitrile gloves, goggles and gowns and donated them to St. Michael’s Hospital, Sunnybrook Hospital and Women’s College Hospital.

If you have any donation updates, email the Ryerson Today team at: ryersontoday@torontomu.ca.

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