SHA disposing of large quantity of personal protective equipment supplied during pandemic

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is disposing of a large quantity of personal protective equipment (PPE) which was supplied by the federal government during the pandemic.

The SHA says it has warehouses in Regina and Saskatoon with PPE that can’t be used because they failed to meet standards or expired before they could be used.

It includes masks, face shields, gowns and gloves supplied by the federal government during the pandemic.

The SHA has now issued a request for proposals for recycling of the materials. The NDP opposition says it’s a shame that it’s all going to waste.

“It certainly seems like another example of the Sask. Party’s mismanagement in health care. We’ve got, you know, PPE in warehouses across the province that’s expired and now we’re going to pay a component to recycle it for us,” said NDP MLA Jared Clarke.

The SHA says it has no information on how much PPE is being disposed of but offered a photo to recycling companies as an example of the material.

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“The Sask. Party stood by watching this and anticipating. One question would be have they talked to community based organizations that could have used this, other charities that could have used this?” Clarke asked.

The federal government faced criticism at the beginning of the pandemic for having expired PPE in its emergency stockpile. It scrambled to send fresh supplies to provinces.

The Government of Saskatchewan has said the PPE it's set to recycle represents less than three per cent of total PPE used during the pandemic.