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Chinese hospitals seek donations of masks and gowns to cope with coronavirus outbreak
- With some factories shut down for Lunar New Year holiday, surgical masks, goggles and disinfectant wipes are in short supply
- Some have cancelled workers’ leave to continue production, but there is an acute shortage of protective suits, government says
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Zhuang Pinghuiin Beijing
Chinese hospitals are running out of protective gear to handle the deadly coronavirus outbreak and many have appealed to the public for donations.
With some factories shut down for the Lunar New Year break, hospitals – including in major cities like Beijing and Guangzhou – have put out the call for more supplies, even as authorities coordinate across the country to increase production to cope with the epidemic.
More than 2,800 cases of the pneumonia-like virus have been confirmed on mainland China, with more than 80 deaths, since the outbreak began in Wuhan in December.
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In the capital on Monday, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, which specialises in cardiology, appealed to the public for protective supplies to “protect frontline medical personnel”. Beijing had reported 72 confirmed cases of the disease as of Sunday.
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The hospital said in a statement it needed supplies to help with prevention and control of the virus, including surgical masks, medical protective masks, gowns and goggles, disinfectant wipes and chlorine.
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