Delta North MLA Ravi Kahlon is encouraging local companies to help connect front-line health care workers with needed medical supplies using the province’s new online COVID-19 Supply Hub.
Announced on Wednesday, April 1, the hub is an online platform to co-ordinate, source and expedite medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for provincial health authorities to support front-line health workers fighting COVID-19. According to a press release, it provides a single point of entry to triage and prioritize the thousands of offers and donations for essential supplies from business and other organizations since the onset of the COVID-19 response.
“Here in Delta, we have already seen businesses stepping up to contribute their skills and products to the fight against COVID-19,” Kahlon said in a press release. “The COVID-19 Supply Hub is a made-in-B.C. platform that will allow for further partnership and co-ordination between businesses and the province, which is crucial during this time.”
Kahlon said some Delta companies have already begun shifting gears to produce medical supplies, such as Tinkerine, a tech-education company whose 3D printers are cranking out up to 1,000 face shields per day.
“Whether it’s Tinkerine producing supplies or the Delta Chamber of Commerce helping get the word out about what is needed, I’m proud to see everyone doing their part to bend the curve,” Kahlon said.
Developed by Burnaby-based tech company Traction on Demand and built on the Salesforce platform, the COVID-19 Supply Hub makes the types and specifications of critically-needed supplies publicly available. From there, proposals can be quickly and easily managed and evaluated, so the right products get to the right workers on the front lines as efficiently as possible.
The COVID-19 Supply Hub’s initial focus is on sourcing supplies for the health-care system and front-line workers, though government is also accepting offers for other essentials, like cleaning supplies.
The hub, which is managed under the new Provincial Supply Coordination Unit at Emergency Management BC, is complementary to existing provincial procurement streams and will work in co-ordination with other provincial and federal initiatives to secure medical and other essential supplies.
Companies looking to offer support or supplies can access the COVID-19 Supply Hub at www.gov.bc.ca/supplyhub.
RELATED: From inside the ER: B.C. doctor tells it like it is from the frontlines of COVID-19 (April 3, 2020)
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