WAUWATOSA — Milwaukee Area Technical College is donating tens of thousands of dollars worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) to area hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The college was forced to shutdown due to the virus. Because of its students in the healthcare services pathway, the school is donating the equipment to those battling COVID-19 on the front lines.
"It is more important here than at school at this time so we can save lives," Dr. Kelly Dries, dean of healthcare services pathway at MATC said. "They definitely are seeing a shortage of PPE and MATC is here to answer that call by donating these different items to these different hospitals.
The college is donating $272,000 worth of the following medical PPE equipment:
- 174,500 pairs of gloves
- 978 gowns and lab coats
- 140 N95 masks
- 11,200 surgical masks
- 200 pairs of protective eyewear
- 8 liters of hand sanitizer
- 110 containers germicidal wipes
The college is loaning four ventilators to Aurora Sinai and Aurora West Allis and also two ventilators and a bipap machine to Froedtert Hospital.
"As we look at our different supplies we have, we're donating as much as we can at this time," Dries said. "We decided we are no longer in need of those different PPE because we don't have classes now."
MATC delivered the donations Monday morning. Children's Wisconsin was not available for an interview but say in a statement, "We want to say thank you to everyone who has donated so far and tell them, keep the donations coming in if they can."
Children's Wisconsin says they are in need of N95 masks right now and have directions on homemade masks at their website.
Personal protective equipment donations are still being accepted at State Fair Park daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, visit State Fair Park's website.
The donations are going to six hospitals in Milwaukee and Ozaukee Counties, including Children's Wisconsin, Froedtert Hospital, Ascension St. Francis Hospital, Village Pointe Commons Senior Living Facility, Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Ozaukee and Aurora Medical Center in Grafton.