COVID-19: American College of Surgeons issues statement on personal protective equipment shortages

CHICAGO: With many health care facilities facing shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE)—including face masks, gowns, and respirators—during the COVID-19 pandemic, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) has released a statement on the issue. ACS believes “it is essential that surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, and other health care personnel be able to speak freely, without fear of retribution, as they seek to find a solution to accessing PPE,” the statement notes. Moreover the ACS “strongly supports the ability of surgeons to use their own masks or other PPE, but this option does not obviate the hospital’s responsibility to provide adequate PPE to all their health care workers.”

Read the full statement online.

About the American College of Surgeons

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has approximately 90,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. "FACS" designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Contact

• Email: pressinquiry@facs.org