Alberta defends quality of procedural masks after being accused of purchasing ‘shoddy’ PPE

EDMONTON (660 NEWS) — The Alberta Government denied purchasing poor quality procedural masks after health-care workers took to social media saying the masks didn’t seal their faces properly, pinched their noses and straps were falling apart during patient care.

“Working Albertans on the front lines of the COVID-19 struggle are heroes. They deserve gratitude but even more than that, they deserve PPE that keeps them healthy and safe while they fight to save lives, not shoddy, unusable, unhealthy stop-gap measures,” Susan Slade, vice-president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), said in a weekend statement.

AUPE added the “botched surgical masks” were part of the $200-million shipment of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Health Minister Tyler Shandro promised to the front lines in a press conference on April 11.

At Monday’s daily COVID-19 briefing, Shandro called this report a flat out lie saying the masks given to frontline workers are safe.

“All procedural masks, which have been sent to other provinces, were sourced from manufacturers from China. Those same masks are also being used here in Alberta,” Shandro said.

“The masks sourced from China are safe for use in Alberta and all other provinces.”

The government ensured all products are tested prior to order and are inspected once again before being supplied by Alberta Health Services to its sites.

AHS chief program officer of supply chain, Jitendra Prasad, said frontline workers aren’t used to these new masks which differ from the ones health-care workers have used for the last few years.

“The masks that you are used to using have been around in our system for more than 20 plus years, so there is a certain level of comfort with these masks,” Prasad said.

“We do appreciate that there are concerns and some of the concerns always are related to the nose piece fit, as well as the size of the mask and comfort.”