News

Local solution cleans up sanitiser supply problem

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 05:09:00

Sanitiser supplies at Mildura Base Hospital have been secured for the long term – thanks to a partnership with a locally-based manufacturer.

MBH Support Services Manager Todd George said the worldwide shortage of sanitiser is impacting health service providers across the country, as well as the general public.
“Supplies have taken a massive hit through the COVID-19 crisis, and although we have a contract with a national company, they are no longer guaranteeing stocks for our sanitiser auto dispensers and pump bottles going forward,” Mr George said.
“Our supplies were getting quite low and we were sourcing sanitiser from wherever we could, but each time it was really only a short-term solution.”
Mr George said talks with a local Sunraysia-based manufacturer, Sunitiser, had ticked all the boxes for a long-term answer.
“Sunitiser has guaranteed us bulk supplies and that means we’ve been able to issue every staff member with a personal supply of sanitiser through a refillable 100 ml bottle,” Mr George said.
“As a health care provider, we have to be very stringent about the product quality and safety for both our patients and staff – this is a 70 percent ethanol product, equal in potency to our existing sanitiser supply, and meeting all of the safety and dangerous goods requirements,” he said.
“We’ve very satisfied with the quality, and having a secure resource means we can spend our time working on solutions to other supply issues.  In practical terms, it’s actually a great solution, because it ensures every staff member has a sanitiser readily available at all times.”
Sunitiser manufacturer Steve Timmis said the development of an alcohol-based sanitiser had come as a result of the temporary closure of his Fosseys Gin distillery business during COVID-19.
“It became evident very early there was a huge supply problem with sanitiser and it was obvious that smaller communities and regional facilities were going to be at the end of the line in accessing supplies,” Mr Timmis said.
“We had the resources and the capacity, so we turned our attention to finding a long-term solution for our local area, so we don’t ever need to find ourselves in this situation again,” he said.
“It’s definitely meeting a need – in addition to hospitals and health services, we’re also supplying to aged care facilities and schools between Mildura and Bendigo, as well as providing home delivery to people who are immunocompromised.”
Mr George said the personal supply system would ease the demand on the hospital’s auto dispensers and while a delivery of auto pump supplies was expected in coming weeks, supply was not guaranteed.
“Should we run out of auto-dispenser supplies, sanitiser stations of the Sunitiser product will be placed in key locations for public access,” he said.

Pictured: MBH Hospital in the Home's Karen Tonkin receives her sanitiser supply