A number of Kitimat healthcare workers are feeling more pampered than usual after an initiative by the District’s local hospital foundation.
The Kitimat General Hospital Foundation (KGHF) is teaming up with a number of local businesses and industry leaders to show local nurses that the community they are working so hard to protect is thinking of them too.
In a show of support to local healthcare workers, the foundation teamed up with Rio Tinto and a number of local businesses to create 65 gift bags to be handed out to nurses at Kitimat General Hospital, Mountainview Lodge, Haisla Health Centre and Rio Tinto.
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A number of local crafters also donated their time to sew the bags, which are completely made up of of items sold locally, including everything from locally-crafted bath bombs to Girl Guide Cookies to gift certificates for local businesses and other miscellaneous self-care items for nurses to use after their shift.
Even the bags themselves have a use: a safe spot for workers to put their civilian clothes in when they scrub up to start a shift.
“These businesses were all very generous in donating extras, hard-to-find items or providing discounts on the purchases made,” reads a release from KGHF. “All of the items in the bags were generously paid for by Rio Tinto to show their appreciation to our nurses and to show how thankful they are to them during this difficult time.”
The foundation has also used funds from its recently-created COVID-19 Greatest Needs Fund to purchase two audio/video monitors for KGH which will be used in acute care.
“[This] will allow for closer and safer monitoring of infectious patients,” the foundation noted. “One more added benefit is that they could [be used] for family to visit with patients and allow for some contact from a safe distance.”
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