By rdnewsNOW staff

Working Together

AHS, Covenant Health, AUPE, HSAA and UNA agree to joint statement on PPE use during COVID-19 pandemic

Mar 27, 2020 | 4:10 PM

Alberta Health Services (AHS), the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), Covenant Health (CH), the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA), and United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) have reached a joint agreement on the safe and effective use of personal protection equipment (PPE) in their collective response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Officials from each of the five organizations acknowledge that employers and unions share the common goal of protecting the health and safety of health care workers.

“During the current COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical that the appropriate steps are taken to protect the health and safety of all health care workers while they provide high quality care to Albertans and prevent exposure to and transmission of COVID-19,” reads their statement. “It is critical to ensure that appropriate PPE is used by all staff and physicians, while also preserving supplies of specialized equipment for when they are required to provide care safely.”

Under the joint agreement, officials from all organizations agree that a risk assessment must be conducted for every patient interaction to ensure front-line health care workers have the specific PPE they need.

“As partners in the response to COVID-19, we trust our front-line health care teams to make appropriate and clinically sound decisions,” the statement continues. “While there is currently not a supply shortage of PPE in our province, AHS, Covenant Health, and the unions will work together to regularly assess the supply of PPE and the employers will continue to take action to ensure an adequate supply.”

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Officials say all parties are committed to continuing to work together to address issues and solve problems as they arise.

“We remain grateful for the dedication and commitment of all health care teams during this challenging time.”