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Burnaby builder pitches in to supply masks for doctors

A Burnaby company is pitching in to help supply masks to general practitioners and medical clinics in B.C.
Kenny Wong, masks, PHW Homes, GoFundMe
Kenny Wong, co-director of PHW Homes, is spearheading a fundraising campaign to help acquire masks for general practitioners and medical clinics in the face of COVID-19.

A Burnaby company is pitching in to help supply masks to general practitioners and medical clinics in B.C.

PHW Homes, a family-owned company based in Burnaby, has kick-started a campaign to raise money for the face masks for use in non-hospital settings.

“I really wanted to find a way to help, and after speaking with a couple friends who are family doctors, it became clear there is a hole that needs to be filled with mask donations,” said Kenny Wong, co-director of the company. “We’ve found a reliable source and have already ordered 10,000 masks to begin.”

The company has set up a GoFundMe campaign at https://www.gofundme.com/f/covid-mask-support-for-clinics-and-gps to raise money to cover those costs and also to hopefully purchase more if possible.

A press release about the campaign notes that GPs and medical clinics don’t require full N95 respirators for basic mask use. Wong has sourced some masks rated at Level 3 (the second-highest tier) that are ideal for medical offices, the release notes.

The first batch of masks will be donated to select health clinics in the region, including Aberdeen Health Centre and Gateway Medical Centre.

Once the GoFundMe campaign has surpassed its original goal, Wong will work towards a higher goal to purchase more masks to deliver to more locations.

Wong welcomes other clinics to reach out if they need assistance, and he’s also calling on other contractors and builders to help support the initiative.

“Health workers in hospitals around the work are quickly running out of masks, and our government has prioritized mask procurement for hospitals,” said Dr. Lawrence Yang, a family doctor. “However, family doctors and other non-government community-based essential services are facing a shortage without a clear solution. Donations of ASTM Level 1 surgical masks or higher would help so very much.”

Clinics interested in future donations are encouraged to email Wong at kenny@phw-homes.com.