Texas Border Business
EDINBURG – The Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District on Friday donated more than 1,000 medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) to Edinburg Children’s Hospital to aid in their efforts to battle the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
“It feels really good to be able to give back to the Edinburg Children’s Hospital during this time of need,” ECISD School Board President Oscar Salinas said. “The Edinburg CISD School Board is wanting for all of us to continue to work together and provide whatever we can, so that we can get through this pandemic together to help our community and hospitals.”
The Edinburg CISD Health Services Department spearheaded the collection of the medical supplies and equipment for the hospital.
“From our 43 campuses, we asked our nurses to do an inventory to see if we had enough equipment for ourselves for at least two more weeks. And whatever we had extra, we would be able to give to the hospitals where they are needed right now,” ECISD Interim Superintendent Gilbert Garza Jr. said.
Overall, Edinburg CISD provided hospital staff with approximately 200 N95 masks, 200 isolation gowns, 400 shoe covers, 100 pairs of safety glasses, 200 hair covers and three infant manual pulmonary resuscitators.
“I encourage all of the districts to go out to your schools and if there are supplies there that you are not utilizing at this time to give them to the hospitals,” Garza said.
Hospital officials said the gowns, which are in very short supply right now, and the additional medical supplies will help them to care for patients for about two weeks.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a box of gloves or a box of gowns. It just warms the staff’s heart. They love seeing that the community is here to support them and that the hospital is not in the fight alone against COVID-19,” said South Texas Health System Children’s Chief Operating Officer Matthew Malinak.
As soon as the donation was made and the nurses upfront saw Edinburg CISD staff pull up, Malinak said the nurses were already on their phones texting everybody and letting them all know that the school district was here to support them.
“Any community support and outreach from Edinburg CISD like this is just a huge uplift to the staff. It’s a huge morale booster. It’s a huge help to the staff, knowing that they have the community support to help care for these patients.”
