Nonprofit gives almost 3,000 health care workers free PPE

NEW YORK - One nonprofit organization decided to take matters into its own hands when it gave out free personal protective equipment (PPE) to health care workers on the front lines of the novel coronavirus fight in New York.

On April 20, almost 3,000 health care workers lined up outside of Bellevue Hospital to receive the free equipment. The equipment was made available thanks to an initiative called Cut Red Tape 4 Heroes, according to Storyful. 

“More than 2,800 doctors, nurses, and health care staff received bags of PPEs from our truck parked in front of Bellevue Hospital on April 20,” according to a GoFundMe page from the group. “Each bag had 7 surgical masks and 1 N95 mask; 1000 bags also had a Level 3 or 4 gown, and 2000 bags included a face shield.

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Across the country, health care workers have been facing challenges in obtaining key protective equipment in their efforts to treat individuals who have been infected with the novel coronavirus due to supply shortages and availability.

Because the virus, which causes the COVID-19 disease, is highly transmissible, health care workers who are treating infected patients put themselves at an increased risk of contracting the disease, especially if they do not have the proper equipment to protect themselves.

Various individuals, companies and organizations have made an effort to help health care and front-line workers in their fight against COVID-19 by donating protective equipment. 

UPS recently donated 10,000 N95 masks to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. A former Tampa Bay Buccaneers player also has been purchasing and donating N95 masks to medical workers in need.

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