WORCESTER - Seven Massachusetts Department of Mental Health hospitals received personal protective equipment [PPE] thanks to help from UMass Medical School.

UMass Medical School's Psychiatry Department provides professional services at four of the seven state hospitals. With a lack of PPE available, the school wanted to fill the gap.

Dr. Sheldon Benjamin contacted the West China Hospital, who the school has had a decade-long partnership with. The hospital shipped eight boxes with 1,600 surgical masks, more than 800 N95 masks and 40 isolation gowns.

"This has filled a gap that, as you can imagine, has made it much easier to care for patients. There is 2,300 staff caring for 700 patients in seven state hospitals in Massachusetts that we are trying to source the PPE for," Dr. Benjamin said. 

Dr. Benjamin sent a "Thank You" letter, and received a letter back from West China Hospital's Director Ling Zou with a positive message of unity.

In the message, Zou said, "“When we communicated with experts from Spain and Italy a few days ago, we were very impressed by what they said: 'We only have one enemy. That is COVID-19.' Our hospital and our colleagues are willing to fight side by side with you in this battle against the virus, and we also believe that we will and must win this battle eventually."

Dr. Benjmain said others in the community have also helped out this week, including donations from students from St. John's high school in Shrewsbury and UMass Memorial Medical Center.