A group within the Department of Health, along with staff from outside the department, are working on the procurement of personal protective equipment and consumables.
Health Minister John Haggie says they were expecting a shipment of masks from Hamilton, Ontario courtesy of the federal government on Monday. That shipment is worth another 94,000 masks.
In addition to the provincial and federal supply chains, there is also a group of entrepreneurs, called Task Force NL, looking to source PPE.
Haggie says it’s no time for complacency. However, he believes the province is in as good of a position on PPE in terms of size and demand as many other jurisdictions in Canada—and they aim to keep it that way.
Proper PPE Will be Provided to Health Workers Who Need to Travel
Meanwhile, Haggie says personal protective equipment is available in the event a mental health worker is required to visit a COVID-19 patient.
John Haggie says one of the challenges has been around how to best deploy resources that would normally travel between facilities and communities—like social work or speech/language pathology.
He says they’ve been conscious about trying to see where the greatest need is and how they can minimize travel. Virtual care is one option.
However, in the situation of speech/language pathology and swallowing assessments for those who have had strokes, that will be difficult through virtual care.
He says in those situations, the appropriate PPE will be provided.
Haggie says they have resources for people dealing with mental health issues like Bridgethegapp.ca, which is also available for healthcare providers.
Further, he says there is also a vigorous Employee Assistance Program through each of the regional health authorities.