Vancouver CEO donates 15,000 masks to local hospital

Mar 31 2020, 4:07 pm

One hospital in Metro Vancouver is about to receive the donation of a much-needed supply of masks.

Jonathon Karelse, the CEO of Vancouver-based NorthFind Management, is donating 15,000 masks to Eagle Ridge Hospital in Port Moody. This includes 10,000 surgical masks and 5,000 N95 masks.

The Coquitlam resident says he was able to acquire this substantial order as he is a supply chain management consultant to global manufacturing companies. The supply of masks was manufactured in China.

N95 Mask shipment

Shipment of N95 masks from China to Eagle Ridge Hospital. (Jonathon Karelse / submitted)

Karelse also sits on the board of directors of Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation. Although this hospital is currently not one of the 20 provincially-designated primary COVID-19 hospital sites, its frontline workers still require the proper equipment and supplies to protect them from the coronavirus, including sick people potentially with the coronavirus arriving at the 24-hour emergency room.

The supply of donated masks will last the hospital for about a month, with the shipment arriving this Thursday.

With about 150 beds, Eagle Ridge Hospital is one of the region’s smaller hospitals and is operated by Fraser Health Authority. It has ambulatory, long-term care, and acute care departments.

Kenneth ChanKenneth Chan

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