Hairdressers and beauticians asked to donate PPE as part of COVID-19 appeal

Medics working in St James’s Hospital in Dublin have made an urgent appeal seeking donations of personal protective equipment (PPE) from people working in various industries, including the hair and beauty sector.

Two consultant physicians from the hospital released a video asking for donations of unused masks, gowns and gloves to help hospital staff tackle COVID-19 in Ireland. The video was shared on Twitter by the hospital’s chief respiratory physiologist Peter Coss, who directed it at hairdressers and beauticians, as well as construction workers and the people working in pharmaceuticals.

Anyone with any spare, unused, unopened PPE they could donate was asked to email [email protected].

The Irish Spa Association put out its own appeal to its members following the release of the video and thanked businesses such as Hennessy Hair & Beauty, which has already supported the call-out.

It has asked spas, salons, clinics and suppliers to support the cause, noting that the Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation’s Dr Edward Matthews said that stocks are low. “We have called upon the HSE to requisition all possible equipment from all possible services where it isn't needed, to get it into the health service,” he added.

Anyone who can help donate gloves, masks, goggles, visors, plastic aprons, gloves and mop caps can email [email protected] or [email protected].