Doctors complain of ‘substandard’ masks
A group of more than 150 Alberta doctors has sent an open letter to the health ministry and Alberta Health Services, saying the most recent supply of medical masks won’t properly protect them while treating patients with COVID -19.
The doctors, who are in a group called abdocs4patients, say the current disposable Vanch brand masks do not properly filter particles or protect from splash contamination that could spread the novel coronavirus. They say the masks fit poorly around the nose, and can cause skin irritation, nausea and headaches.
“These masks are of poor quality, substandard, consistently malfunction, and do not provide adequate personal protection against a very capable viral pathogen,” reads the letter sent to Health Minister Tyler Shandro and Dr. Verna Yiu, CEO of AHS on Thursday.
“#abdocs4patients disagree with AHS’ assessment and government reassurance about this substandard equipment further dismissing our concern as ‘preference.’ Our personal safety is not a preference. As your front-line essential staff, we are putting our lives and the livelihood of our families at stake.”
The doctors say they are hiring a toxicology firm to investigate the effectiveness of the personal protective equipment provided to them.
Dr. John Julyan-gudgeon, a family physician and spokesman for abdocs4patients, says doctors on the front line dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic deserve to have equipment that keeps them safe.
“We should be offering them a level of protection, adequate to ensure that they themselves do not become victims of this simply because of their duty and their desire, and the position to help others,” Julyan- Gudgeon said Thursday.
The group, previously called Concerned Alberta Doctors, also claimed responsibility for the open letter sent to the health minister signed by 800 doctors at the end of March, about pay changes.
The group was renamed to mimic a popular hashtag on social media.
The Alberta government did not provide comment Thursday, as the masks were purchased by AHS, but previously defended the masks’ quality after United Nurses of Alberta and the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees raised similar safety concerns.
AHS says the masks are certified and meet regulatory requirements and safety standards, and has created a quality control group to test PPE.
The Vanch brand masks were tested for EU Standards EN14683 Type II and Type II R., which align with ASTM Level 1 and 2, it says.
AHS says they are working with the mask manufacturers to have nose pieces adjusted, masks lengthened for a better fit, and to package masks differently to remove the odour. Until then, they are reminded to wear a mask, face shield and gloves when dealing with patients who may have COVID -19.
“We are extremely pleased with their responsiveness and are confident that we can resolve the issues that have been identified,” said James Wood, a director of media relations for AHS, in a statement.
AHS has also released instructions on how to adjust Vanch masks on its website and on Youtube.
As for concerns that high quality masks may have been shipped to other provinces, AHS says no masks from standard suppliers were sent.
Staff with concerns are asked to report problems through the Medical Device Incident or Problem website or email ppe@ahs.ca.
The Alberta Dental Association and College discouraged dentists in a notice posted Wednesday from buying masks outside the dental supply chain.
Association president Dr. Troy Basarab said price and scarcity could drive some dentists to buy masks on the “grey market” that appear similar but may not have the same protections.
“But without those assurances that they’ve come from a reputable dealer through reputable supply chains, then you start to get into some product that can look and feel very much like the right thing but they don’t perform like the official products do,” he said Thursday.