‘This is not safe.’ Nurses hold vigil in SLO to protest shortage of coronavirus equipment
The same day the County of San Luis Obispo confirmed 15 local healthcare workers have tested positive for coronavirus, dozens of Dignity Health nurses gathered to protest what they say is a lack of equipment necessary to keep them safe during the outbreak.
Standing six feet apart the entire time, nurses with San Luis Obispo County’s Dignity Health hospitals gathered in front of the courthouse in downtown San Luis Obispo on Thursday night to hold a candlelight vigil.
The assembled nurses and their supporters wore a range of masks, from the standard N-95 ones used in hospitals to handkerchiefs tied around their faces. They carried candles and signs begging for the community to speak up for their local healthcare providers in a time of crisis.
“This is not safe,” read one sign. “This is not protection,” another read.
Several of the nurses told The Tribune that local hospitals like Arroyo Grande Community Hospital and French Hospital Medical Center are experiencing a shortage of personal protective equipment — masks, gowns, gloves and other gear commonly referred to as PPEs.
Joan Silva, a San Luis Obispo nurse who attended Thursday night’s rally, said she was concerned by the way the shortage is being handled.
“Right now I think we are doing a great job, but we are reduced already to reusing all of our PPEs,” she said. “And not just me reusing my PPE that I used today. It goes into a pool and is shared, and is used again.”
The majority of PPEs are intended for single use, though some, like goggles and more advanced respirator masks, are approved for reuse.
In recent weeks, however, the Centers for Disease Control has relaxed its guidance on PPEs as it stares down the barrel of potential nationwide shortages, and is allowing for more reuse.
Linda Martin, an Arroyo Grande Community Hospital ER nurse, described the CDC’s laxer regulations as “criminal.”
“They are asking us to reuse them, and put them in a paper bag, and wear the same mask from patient to patient,” she said. “Those are meant and manufactured to be single-use disposable items between patients. That is such an important point in infection control. And the fact that the Centers for Disease Control have now lowered their standard and changed that in the midst of this crisis? That is criminal, and they need to stop that.”
Megan Maloney, Dignity Health Director of Marketing and Communications, said in a statement emailed to The Tribune on Thursday night that French Hospital Medical Center -- the hospital which initially inspired the vigil, according to a flyer for it shared Thursday afternoon -- has the appropriate amount of supplies and equipment “to effectively protect our caregivers as they screen and treat any patients.”
“We continuously assess the volume of supplies at our facility,” she wrote. “We have multiple contingency plans to ensure our facility has the PPE necessary. Our supply chain is in contact with various suppliers to ensure we can replenish or move supplies as needed to any of our Dignity Health facilities, and even beyond, throughout the CommonSpirit Health national network. We also work closely with federal, state, and local public health departments to ensure external resources are available if ever needed.”
Though people have heard of equipment shortages in other areas hard-hit by the virus, Silva said she was concerned that the majority of San Luis Obispo County seemed to be unaware of the potential health risks facing their local nurses.
“We don’t feel the public is really aware of the shortage,” she said. “They are aware of what’s happening in New York City and New Orleans, but I don’t think they’re aware of what is happening right here locally, in San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande, Santa Maria.”
“We need PPE and we need it now,” she added.
Martin urged people to contact local hospital administrators and government representatives to fix the local shortage, and provide adequate equipment to their healthcare workers.
“When a nurse gets sick, we cannot care for you,” she said. “There is a way to fix this. It’s just not being done.”
Silva offered the same advise, as well as one additional bit of wisdom for San Luis Obispo County residents in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak:
“Stay home.”
This story was originally published April 2, 2020 at 10:40 PM.
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