The Brunswick Medical Centre in Pointe-Claire, Que., is asking volunteers to donate cloth face masks in order to protect patients.
According to the clinic, its staff manages approximately 1,000 appointments per day. Ninety per cent of those are now being done by teleconsultation. However, the clinic still sees about 100 patients per day in person.
Dr. Barbara Hogenbirk, a family doctor and medical director of the centre, says most of those patients are pregnant women or newborn babies who need extra care.
“They may ask for masks. This is a way to make them comfortable and save the medical masks for the medical personnel,” Hogenbirk said.
The clinic posted a call on social media for volunteer sewers to donate homemade masks.
Hogenbirk says the clinic has received a great response.
“My patient put it on social media, and someone contacted me with 100 masks they already made,” Hogenbirk said.
“It’s very very touching.”
People who use the masks at the clinic get to take them home with them to reuse.
Hogenbirk estimates the clinic will need 500 masks a week.
“Five hundred a week should be enough to help everybody,” she explained.
Those who’d like to help have to use clean cotton and work with clean hands. The clinic will clean them again once they receive the masks.
Any donations can be dropped off at the clinic and left with the guard.