RI doctors collecting PPE donations for healthcare workers, first responders

Posted: Apr 6, 2020 / 04:31 PM EDT / Updated: Apr 6, 2020 / 06:42 PM EDT

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) ─ A local group of physicians is calling upon Rhode Islanders to donate personal protective equipment for healthcare workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Rhode Island chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) recently kicked off a donation drive at the Rhode Island Blood Center.

Dr. Nadine Himelfarb, vice president of ACEP’s Rhode Island chapter, said they’re asking for unused surgical masks, face shields, bonnets, Tyvek suits and nitrile, non-powdered gloves.

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“Everybody is doing what they can to get as much personal protective equipment as they can,” Himelfarb said.

Himelfarb said the group is thinking locally when it comes to all of the PPE donations it receives from the community.

“We will distribute this material to the front line and emergency responders here in Rhode Island,” she said.

The donation drive will continue until the state gets a handle on its response to the pandemic. Donations can be dropped off Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Rhode Island Blood Center on Promenade Street.

While dropping off donations, Himelfarb asks people to also consider donating blood, since the state’s supply has reached critical levels due to the pandemic.