CLEVELAND — Personal protective equipment (PPE) has been in short supply in Northeast Ohio and around the county. That has caused widespread concern over how to keep healthcare providers and employees at hospitals safe during the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic.
Approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), MetroHealth is now utilizing a system developed by Bioquell to sterilize up to 50,000 N95 and KN95 masks per day.
“This will address any potential shortages of these masks and allow us to provide masks to all our employees.” Said MetroHealth President and CEO Akram Boutros, MD.
Masks that have been used by healthcare professionals and other employees at MetroHealth are hung on racks in a room that is sealed as the masks are sterilized. In total, the sanitation and sterilization process takes two hours.
MetroHealth’s Infection Prevention team is well-versed in using this technology and have established protocols for sterilizing hospital rooms and ambulances used in the care of highly contagious patients with diseases such as Ebola, Anthrax and SARS-CoV-2.
According to MetroHealth’s website, their staff of 7,800 provides care at four hospitals, four emergency departments and more than 20 health centers and 40 additional sites throughout Northeast Ohio.
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