Sask. Polytech provides helpful supplies to front-line workers
When health-care workers across Saskatchewan slip on personal protective equipment (PPE) to stay healthy during the pandemic, they will have Saskatchewan Polytechnic to thank for providing some of those supplies.
The organization recently collected thousands of items of PPE and other supplies from its campuses in Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert and Moose Jaw. It then wrapped up those items in seven pallets and shipped them to a central location, where the provincial government then distributes the equipment to health regions through Saskatchewan. Among the items shipped were:
• 741 boxes of gloves;
• 40 boxes of masks with face shields;
• 212 boxes of procedural masks;
• 219 boxes of N95 masks and another 420 individual N95 masks;
• Four boxes of surgical masks;
• 780 isolation gowns;
• 41 containers of hand sanitizer;
• 20 tubs of wipes.
“(I’m) absolutely so proud of our staff and faculty who conducted the inventory of supplies and materials at each campus and then … gathered the material and worked to put the seven pallets of supplies together,” said Cheryl Schmitz, CFO and vice-president of admin services.
“I feel really proud as a member of Sask. Polytech that we could provide these items to safeguard our health-care workers. And many of those are Sask. Polytech alumni, so that’s really important to Sask. Polytech.”
The technical college is in constant contact with the Ministry of Advanced Education, so when the ministry put a call out for PPE equipment and any assistance to donate, the college jumped at the chance, Schmitz said. The institution had received requests for support from smaller groups and health-care providers. However, it decided to work with the ministry and SaskBuilds to ensure the equipment was distributed on a province-wide basis since Sask. Polytech is a provincial organization.
Sask. Polytech has not given away all of its PPE supplies, but kept what was necessary for its campuses to continue functioning, Schmitz said. Some employees are still required to be on-site at the campuses to receive goods and to ensure the buildings continue to operate, such as information technology staff and professors who might have to run lab experiments. “… (the) health of our students and staff is our number 1 priority,” she added. “But we also didn’t want to hoard it when there is such a need in the province for PPE.”