Many businesses which use PPE are shutting down voluntarily or as a result of a local or regional mandate. If you are running low on PPE, consider asking for the loan, gift, or purchase of supplies from your local colleagues.
For example, you could go through every dentist and orthodontist in your practice’s addressbook and send an email (more likely to be answered than the phone, if folks are already shutting down) like this:
Dear Colleagues at [Name of Practice]:
Our practice, Podunk Pediatrics, serves [number] infants, children adolescents, and young adults in our community. Because of the COVID-19 crisis, we are [running low of/nearly out of/absolutely desperate for] personal protective equipment (PPE) so that we can remain open to provide medical triage, diagnosis, and management of our patients.
While we have [cancelled nonessential appointments/sent some employees home/implemented telemedicine], we still must remain open to care for ill children. Keeping children and their families out of the hospital, unless absolutely necessary, is essential to keep our hospital colleagues from becoming overwhelmed. We also are committed to continue providing timely life-saving vaccines for children against meningitis, pneumonia, pertussis, and many other diseases .
Unfortunately, our medical suppliers have communicated to us that they are completely unable to provide necessary personal protective equipment to us, due to global shortages. We do not know when our supply chains will be re-enabled, and we are already rationing what we have left as thinly as possible. In the meantime, children need us.
If you can share any of the following supplies with us, we would [be delighted to reimburse you for it immediately / be honored to accept your gift / be willing to replace it piece-for-piece back to you once this crisis has abated]:
----N95 masks - medium
----Surgical masks
----Eye protection/goggles/face masks
----Cloth isolation gowns
----Disposable isolation gowns (extra-large)
----Nonsterile disposable gloves (medium)
If you can help us with even a single item, please contact [who] at [your contact]. Any equipment that we do not use will [be returned to you/passed on to another local health care system in need.]
Sincerely,
Podunk Pediatrics
In addition to dental care providers, also consider contacting:
- Veterinarians
- Gyms and fitness centers
- Construction companies (many have shut down)
- Manufacturers, heavy and light industry (many have shut down)
- Theme parks, theaters, arenas, and other performance spaces (if painting is performed, they may have PPE)
- Cleaning companies (especially those whose usual clients have closed)
You can consider donating extra PPE you have to someone locally, or you can consider sending it to a public donation space [see list here]
SKB