‘WE’RE COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS!’
I’M SEW HAPPY WE COULD HELP OUR COMMUNITY!
During the first COVID-19 outbreak, Dr Kirby White struggled to source enough disposable gowns, so she and colleague Dr Nicole Lowe decided to act.
In March 2020, they developed a gown that could be laundered and re-used, allowing them to keep seeing patients at their Bendigo clinic.
“The second COVID-19 wave really stretched resources for GPs – it was impossible for anyone to purchase disposable gowns,” says Kirby, who explains one reusable gown lasts as long as 130 single-use gowns.
“It was crucial to me to have a reusable gown – we didn’t know how long the pandemic was going to last so we needed a sustainable solution.”
Two weeks later, Gowns for Doctors was created. Taking to social media, Kirby, 36, shared the initiative in a local Facebook group and Bendigo radio station. Overnight, hundreds of volunteers put up their hands to sew, donate fabric and distribute the gowns. She was blown away
