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While ‘adequate’ NGH searching for more PPE

By Tracy R. Mesler

While Nocona General Hospital has a “sufficient” supply of personal protective equipment (PPEs), masks and gloves, the staff is still trying to secure more in fear of an outbreak of Covid-19 in the community.

NGH CEO Lance Meekins said he staff made efforts to secure more of the supplies they would need during a contagion outbreak.

“We did get some more, but not to the degree that we want,” Meekins said Friday morning as his staff was inventorying the items seized by three other taxing entities from the closed Community Hospital of Bowie. (See related story in this week’s edition of The Nocona News.)

“You see all the national stories about the flood of supplies, and obviously much of that is going to the hot spots,” Meekins said. “The issue is none of that has filtered down to us despite our constant request,” he said, the concern rising in his voice.

Meekins knows with a bed capacity of 22 Nocona General will initially ship its most serious Covid-19 patients on to the larger hospitals in the region. But the problem with that is, if the fears of even wide spread of the infectious disease occurs, those hospitals will fill up.

Then Meekins’ staff will be going through PPEs, masks and gloves at a higher rate – that is why his concern about securing additional supplies.

“We’re still sufficient but depending on the volume I can’t say we have enough for so many days,” he said explaining his concerned.

 

 

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