- As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread, many healthcare workers are reportedly experiencing a shortage of medical supplies needed to fight COVID-19.
- To help alleviate the shortage and fight the spread of the virus, many medical TV shows have announced that they are donating their on-set medical supplies to local hospitals and medical centers in need.
- Among the medical dramas donating their masks, gloves, and other supplies are ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19, as well as The Good Doctor, The Resident, and New Amsterdam.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to grow worldwide, it looks like television’s most popular medical shows are doing their part to help fight the spread of the virus — specifically by lending a hand to healthcare workers who are increasingly facing a shortage of medical supplies amid the crisis.
Responding to this dire shortage faced by medical professionals fighting COVID-19, shows such as Grey’s Anatomy — and its spinoff series Station 19 — have announced that they are donating hundreds of masks, gowns, gloves, and other items they typically use as on-set costuming to local hospitals and medical centers in need.
“At Station 19, we were lucky enough to have about 300 of the coveted N95 masks which we donated to our local fire station. They were tremendously grateful. At Grey’s Anatomy, we have a back-stock of gowns and gloves which we are donating as well,” said showrunner Krista Vernoff in a statement to Good Morning America. “We are all overwhelmed with gratitude for our healthcare workers during this incredibly difficult time, and in addition to these donations, we are doing our part to help them by staying home.”
Receiving the donation of masks from Station 19, the Ontario Fire Department made sure to thank the producers of the ABC show — which focuses on the lives of firefighters in Seattle — with an Instagram post, sharing a photo of their firefighters with the donations on Thursday. “Thank you to @station19 and @shondaland for the donation of N95 masks to help protect our firefighters during our COVID-19 response #HeroesNotJustOnTV,” read the caption.
Meanwhile, other medical shows have also pitched in with their own on-set supplies: ABC’s The Good Doctor is donating their supply of masks and other medical gear to hospitals in Vancouver, where the series is filmed — while NBC’s New Amsterdam announced in a statement that they were donating their supply of masks, gloves, gowns, and other items to the New York State Department of Health.
Fox’s The Resident also sent its stock of medical supplies to a local hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, where the medical drama is filmed. One of the hospital’s doctors, Dr. Karen Law, recently shared a photo of the donation on Instagram, thanking the show’s team for the generous donation of personal protective equipment (PPE).
“To the entire team @theresidentonfox, thank you for this incredibly generous donation of #PPE from your set, including gowns, masks, gloves, and all the things our healthcare workers need to provide safe care for our community during #COVID19,” she wrote in her caption. “This kind of community support means so much to our #frontlineproviders who are making many sacrifices to staff our hospitals and care for our community.”
Amidst the rising concerns of the coronavirus pandemic, Grey’s Anatomy, The Resident, and New Amsterdam are among the list of several TV shows that have decided to suspend or delay production in the last few weeks. Executive producers of Grey’s announced the news in a letter to the show’s cast and crew, sharing the statement last Thursday as reported by Deadline.
“Out of an abundance of caution, production is postponed on Grey’s Anatomy effective immediately,” the letter read. “This decision was made to ensure the health and safety of the whole cast and crew and the safety of our loved ones outside of work.”
In the meantime, it looks like the show’s fictional hospital is doing everything it can to help our real-life doctors — while also encouraging everyone else to stay safe.
“Stay safe, stay healthy, stay hydrated, stay home as much as possible, and wash your hands frequently,” the show’s producers wrote in the letter. “Please take care of yourselves and each other.”
For helpful resources regarding the coronavirus, visit The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Coronavirus Disease 2019 fact page and The National Association of County and City Health Officials’ directory of local health departments.