Wimmera Health Care Group is calling for calm and consideration from the community after personal protective equipment was stolen from both the hospital and the Wimmera Medical Centre.

CEO Catherine Morley said it was very disappointing masks had been taken from the Emergency Department waiting room as well as from the entrance to the Wimmera Medical Centre.

"In the Emergency Department if someone comes in and they have respiratory symptoms they put a mask on- some people have taken extra to use at home," Ms Morley said.

"People need to respect the equipment we have in our health service and use it as we request them to do," she said.

"We need to ensure there is enough PPE for our staff. The main thing for is for us to ensure our team members are safe."

Ms Morley said she understood community concerns but reminded them taking essential items from a health service was not acceptable.

Emergency Department nurse unit manager Odette Richards said community members needed to understand personal protective equipment could only protect them if they understood the correct techniques for putting on and removing it.

"Our team members are trained in the correct way to put on and remove personal protective equipment to ensure that if the equipment, such as a mask, is contaminated there is not cross contamination when it is taken off," Ms Richards said.

"General community are not trained in this, so taking equipment from us, where it is needed, won’t necessarily increase their safety."

Printer Friendly Version