In the effort to contain and mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the Dallas County Hospital and Family Medicine Clinics is partnering with Ben’s Five and Dime in Perry to provide materials to people who can hand sew masks.
The masks are among the items of personal protective equipment (PPE) that healthcare workers need in order to protect themselves and their patients from infection.
“The safety of our community and those caring for the ill is our top priority,” said Macinzie McFarland, DCH marketing and Foundation manager. “Our facilities are committed to providing the appropriate protective measures for our patients and staff according to CDC guidelines.”
McFarland said Ben’s Five and Dime has managed, in spite of tight supplies worldwide, to secure a quantity of material for sewers to use to create the hand-sewn PPE, which will then be donated to the Dallas County Hospital and Family Medicine Clinics.
“There continues to be a world-wide shortage of this type of equipment,” she said. “It is also becoming difficult to purchase materials to create hand-sewn masks.”
McFarland said the DCH will use all the hand-sewn PPE to protect patients entering the facility by providing them with a mask they can keep and also to protect healthcare workers.
If you are interested in sewing hand-sewn masks for DCH, material is available for pick-up free of charge. Please contact McFarland at 515-465-7516 or mmcfarland@dallascohospital.org to receive details on how to help.
In addition, the Dallas County Hospital and Family Medicine Clinics still seeks donations of PPE stock, such as N95 respirators and surgical masks, hand-sewn masks, face shields and goggles. If you have this equipment that you could donate, call McFarland at 515-465-7516 ahead of time to make arrangements for delivery to the Dallas County Hospital.
