UK brings in army to get protective kit to health workers
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Britain brought in the army on Monday to help deliver supplies of protective equipment to healthcare workers after doctors said they felt like “cannon fodder” and pleaded with the government to provide the right kit.
The distribution and delivery of millions of items of personal protective equipment (PPE) including masks will now be carried out by the army who will drive trucks throughout the day and night, health minister Matt Hancock said in a statement.
Millions more items have been provided to hospitals, ambulance trust, GP practices, care homes and other health services in the last few days, he added, after complaints emerged from medical staff that they did not have enough kit.
In a letter pleading with Prime Minister Boris Johnson to increase PPE supplies, over 6,000 frontline doctors said they were being asked to put their lives at risk with out-of-date masks, and low stocks of equipment.
Protective kit from the national stockpile reserved for pandemic influenza had now been released said the joint statement from the department of health and National Health Service on Monday.
They said that supply of protective equipment was rising.
