Conestoga College to give about $2M in medical supplies, equipment to local hospitals

Conestoga College has offered a number of its ventilators normally used to teach students. (@dveniott / Twitter)

KITCHENER — College students may not be on campus this week, but Conestoga College says its Doon campus has been busy for other reasons.

The school announced Sunday that it would be providing some $2 million-worth of medical equipment and supplies to local hospitals.

"These are extraordinary times, and we all need to step up and contribute to the greater good," President John Tibbits was quoted in a news release.

"Sharing our resources to protect front-line workers and provide additional capacity for hospitals in this time of crisis is one of the ways that Conestoga is making a difference in the fight against the global pandemic."

The college will be providing N95 masks, gloves and other personal protective equipment to local hospitals.

That's on top of its decision to share ventilators, hospital and long-term care beds, stretchers and mattresses normally used to teach students.

"A provincial distribution system has been developed to deploy ventilators to areas of most urgent need," the news release reads in part.

"The rest of the supplies will be shared among local hospitals, including Grand River and St. Mary’s in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge Memorial and Guelph General."

Another local company, Stage Door Transportation in Ayr, has volunteered to help transport the equipment in the coming days, the college says.

The announcement comes as hospitals around Ontario call for donations of protective equipment for frontline staff.

Those calls have been eagerly answered by individuals and businesses across Waterloo Region.