By Lyonel Doherty

While local health care facilities struggle to secure an adequate supply of personal protective equipment, one woman in Oliver is doing her part to help.

Paula Martins is sewing masks for health care providers. In fact, she was on her way to Osoyoos the other day to deliver masks to her doctor.

“We’re all in this together,” she wrote in a social media post, referring to it as an “uplift movement.”

“If you are a health care provider, let me know. I will sew one for you, my way of saying thank you for all you do.”

Martins said she was sitting on the couch one day wondering what she could do to make a difference during the pandemic.

“I think I’m going to make masks,” she said.

Once she began, she received messages from all over B.C., Alberta, and the Yukon.

Martins has now created nearly 200 masks, made from cotton and flannel.

“It’s like an assembly line in my sewing dungeon,” she noted.

Martins pointed out that a nurse educator from South Okanagan General Hospital has taken 10 masks, and a family doctor in Oliver has picked up 15.

These health care professionals wanted to pay her, but she refused. Martins said she has received much support from community members such as Karen Skaros and Karen Amos.

But she gives all of the credit to God, saying he has given this gift to her in order to help others during the crisis.

Martins had a surreal feeling the other day when she was pruning with her son.

“I was looking around and it was a beautiful day. How can anything be wrong with the world?”

Bags of masks and materials hanging on Martins’ fence.

Local senior Geogena Forsythe discovered what Martins was doing and was totally impressed.

“I don’t know when this lady has time to sleep with all that she does on her farm.”

Interior Health says it has processes in place to ensure that PPE is distributed appropriately across the region.

Interior Health acknowledged the unprecedented demand on supplies in recent weeks. But they have subsequently heard “success stories” from supply hubs that there is more stock than they realized.

Health Minister Adrian Dix told the media that they recently acquired one million surgical masks.
In order to preserve critical PPE supplies, Interior Health’s largest acute care sites will begin the collection of used disposable N95 masks. These masks will be sterilized and stored as part of a provincial initiative for an emergency backup supply.

Testing 
It’s important to note that COVID-19 testing is happening by referral only, and it is not needed for everyone. If people have symptoms, they should contact their primary care provider (call first) or dial 8-1-1.

New testing guidelines limit testing to people with symptoms who are: Hospitalized or are likely to be hospitalized;  health care workers; residents in long-term care facilities; or part of an investigation of a cluster or outbreak.
Testing will occur by appointment only for people who have been referred by their primary care provider or an 8-1-1 nurse.

Interior Health said patients without symptoms, or those with mild symptoms who can be managed at home should not be tested. The exception is health care workers with COVID-19 infection who have recovered and require a negative test prior to returning to work.

People are asked to call ahead before they come to any health care site or office if they are suffering from symptoms of COVID-19 that require medical attention.

Interior Health said people do not need to seek medical attention for symptoms they can manage at home.