Quebec medical supplies dwindling
Some stock could be depleted within a week
During yesterday’s briefing, Premier Francois Legault said the province could run out of certain medical supplies being used to address the COVID-19 pandemic within three to seven days.
“The priority is medical equipment,” Legault said, asking health professionals to use only what is necessary. “We need masks for the duration of the crisis,” the premier said.
Orders are expected in the coming days, according to Legault.
In the meantime, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has transferred some supplies including masks to Quebec, with more expected in a few days.
Legault applauded the work being done by the federal government to help secure orders for masks and equipment coming from other countries.
Health and Social Services Minister Danielle Mccann asked that health workers disinfect and reuse masks, specifically the N-95.
According to Mccann, people who are infected with COVID-19 should wear a mask, as should their caregivers. Others don’t need a mask unless they will be in contact with someone who is infected.
Quebec’s plan is to start by rationing use while waiting for orders for more supplies to arrive.
Legault said the province is working hard in the medium-term to find local companies who could manufacture the
Over the course of a little more than one week, a Sherbrooke-based team designed, built, and tested a prototype medical ventilator made from readily available, abundant, and locally-sourced parts as a part of the Code Life Ventilator Challenge put out by the Montreal General Hospital Foundation and the Mcgill University Health Centre Research Institute.
Based on the premise that the number of people potentially in need of ventilators as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic could quickly overwhelm the amount of equipment available, the challenge called on research teams to design a low-cost, simple, easy-to-use and easy-to-build ventilator that can serve the COVID patients in an emergency timeframe.