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Undersecretary says protective equipment for Mexican health care workers on its way

Mexico City, Mexico — During a press conference to discuss the current coronavirus situation, the undersecretary of Prevention and Health reported that in coming days, a shipment of protective equipment and medical supplies will arrive in Mexico for the country’s health care professionals.

Hugo López-Gatell, the undersecretary of Health, said they have ordered “gloves, masks, gowns, etc., which were carefully selected by a technical group.” In that shipment, he explained, are also diagnostic supplies, healing supplies, medications and hand hygiene supplies along with medical equipment including 11 ventilators, 44 intensive care beds, 2 portable x-ray equipment, 50 oximeters and 54 monitors.

He explained that the purchase, which is arriving from China, will cover nearly all needs for protective equipment during the present pandemic phase of COVID-19 and should take 4 or 5 days to distribute once it arrives.

López-Gatell said that the lack of equipment, which had been reported in recent weeks by personnel from various hospitals, was caused by inappropriate use of personal protection devices. He noted that despite the fact that an infection control guide was published indicating what the medical staff should use in the way of equipment, they were used incorrectly for fear of contagion among health staff.

He noted that there is a shortage of equipment worldwide “because there is no constant supply, the largest factories of this equipment, which are in China, were also affected by the epidemic and are barely recovering.”