Title
Encouraging United Hospital administration to increase workplace safety for clinical staff during the impact of COVID-19.
Body
Whereas, Saint Paul is home to a world class, robust and highly valued health care community including premiere hospitals and dedicated health care workers; and
Whereas, according the City of Saint Paul Department of Planning and Economic Development, one of the top employment sectors in Saint Paul is health care and social assistance; and
Whereas, according to Governor Tim Walz, “First responders keep Minnesotans and their communities safe and help ensure that critical services continue to be provided - and it is imperative to protect their health and safety;” and
Whereas, during this unprecedented crisis, concerns have been brought to the attention of Saint Paul City Councilmembers related to the workplace safety of clinical staff at United Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic; and
Whereas, Councilmembers have received reports that clinical staff at United Hospital who are working directly with patients, including those who have contracted COVID-19, are not being provided with hospital-issue scrubs and it was reported that these clinical staff are required to bring their own scrubs and use these in areas contaminated with COVID-19; and then bring these contaminated scrubs into their homes to be laundered; and
Whereas, given the directives to the general public to avoid the spread of COVID-19, requiring hospital staff to remove contaminants from the hospital would violate these directives and put the public at risk; and
Whereas, lack of access to scrubs has been reported to be part of a larger trend of not prioritizing the safety of health care workers and patients because they don’t have the proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), isolation rooms for COVID-19 patients, education, and communication from their employers, and
Whereas, such policies would pose a clear risk to patients, staff and the broader community; and
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