There’s a critical need for personal protective equipment to keep North Texas healthcare workers safe as they treat patients during the COVID-19 outbreak, and researchers and staff at the University of Texas at Dallas have banded together to donate supplies that will help.
On Monday, the research staff delivered the personal protective equipment to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas for distribution to hospital workers involved in patient care.
Here’s what they delivered: 72,000 gloves, 1,100 face masks, and 69 N-95 masks that were provided by faculty members from across the Richardson-based university’s labs.
Joseph Pancrazio
The effort was organized by Vice President of Research Joseph Pancrazio, who wrote a note to colleagues about the donations.
“As the VPR, I have encouraged our biomedical labs and our vivarium which have full supplies of medical PPE (gloves, gowns, and masks) to make a donation to nearby Parkland Hospital,” Pancrazio wrote.
“Parkland is the main hospital of the Parkland Health & Hospital System and serves as Dallas County’s public hospital. As a result, the hospital sees a substantial fraction of the population who may be uninsured and likely to become the most ill during this crisis. Parkland has had to ration masks to their health care providers. As a society, we need to protect the health of those who are the front lines of the pandemic.”
“I was very pleased with the contributions by our faculty— I will make them whole later, when we reach our new normal. We made our first shipment today,” he continued.
“I encourage you all to help your local healthcare providers–a glove, mask, or gown at the right time and place can save lives. We can set a great example to counter the hoarding that has occurred. It also gives the public a small, yet tangible reason why it is great to have a university that can support the local community’s backyard.”
UTD research staff members amid personal protective gear boxed for delivery to Parkland Memorial Hospital. [Photo: Courtesy UTD]
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