Most school supply lists have things like pencils, rulers and notebooks. But more than a dozen public schools across the state were also in need of medical supplies.
The West Virginia Department of Health’s Center for Threat Preparedness had 20 pallets containing everything from N-95 masks, biohazard buckets, clipboards and more. They were provided by the federal government primarily to help with the state’s COVID-19 response – and many of the items were nearing expiration.
“What we did is we looked for innovative solutions to make partnerships and collaborate,” said Health Secretary Dr. Arvin Singh.
More than 20 schools raised their hands in interest.
“Each one of those schools had different needs but they all wanted one thing, which was to make their classroom a better experience,” Singh said.
Those items have now been distributed to schools across the state.
“The face shields, the gowns, the hand sanitizers, they’re gonna be used to create a mock clinical environment and allow students to participate in community service projects and help give them a well-rounded, real-life look at what it means to be in healthcare and public health,” Singh said.
The effort is part of a broader focus, he said, to look for ways to eliminate waste.
The supplies will be used in classroom instruction for elementary, middle, high school and vocational school students.
