PPE for women
SUPPLY CHAIN
PPE for women
Issues with the global supply chain of
PPE have been widely reported , but something we ' ve heard less about is the lack of adequate protective clothing for women .
In April 2020 the BBC reported that despite the fact that women make up 77 per cent of the country ' s healthcare workforce , items like gloves , masks , gowns and face shields are designed for men and are therefore too big for them . Some women said they have suffered abrasions and ulcers because of illfitting PPE . `
Dr Helen Fidler , deputy chair of the British Medical Association , echoed this when she said that “ female doctors and other NHS staff are having issues with filtering face-piece ( FFP ) masks and other PPE not being available in smaller sizes as they tend to be designed to the size and shape of male bodies .”
To date most of the reports have come from the UK , but the problem is global . Dr Saralyn Mark , who founded iGIANT after hearing female colleagues say they were being put at risk of contracting Ebola because their PPE did not fit properly , has said that throughout the pandemic numerous women around the world have told her that their gowns , gloves , boots , and eye protection do not fit .
110 April 2021