Designer Mark Anthony has donated face masks produced by his company to health care workers at May Pen Hospital and University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), as well as to the police force.

According to the designer, he has donated in excess of 500 face masks and will continue to do so as he believes providing the protective gear to workers on the front line of the island’s response to COVID-19 is a worthy gesture.

“We invite other manufacturers/designers to participate in this initiative and help as best they can during this time, where standing and working together in solidarity will be our most effective weapon against COVID-19,” he said.

“With all the uncertainties surrounding this pandemic, the single certainty is that there is life post COVID-19, and we must challenge our individual and collective selves to prevail. A big part of prevailing is to keep the health care workers of Jamaica safe and protected. These workers are our heroes who are on the front line of this fight, risking their health and lives daily. Front line workers deserve, at minimum, reusable masks, which are essential to stopping the spread of COVID-19,” he said.

He said when cases of COVID-19 began to rise in Jamaica, the lack of such personal protective equipment was identified as one of the greatest challenges facing the country.

“I estimated that at a bare minimum, health care workers would require at least about five face masks each to operate and carry out their jobs safely and effectively,” Anthony said.

“In March 2020, I was contacted by Dr Astrid Bachelor, who made an appeal on behalf of her fellow colleagues at UHWI, who were being asked to recycle their disposable masks, due to the shortage. Dr Bachelor contacted me as a result of a social media post she saw from Dr Daryl A Daley, obstetrician/gynaecologist, to whose practice I had donated face masks. I had just launched the Mark Anthony Designs face masks and Dr Bachelor asked me to donate masks to UHWI. I was happy to assist with 150 masks, as I saw this as a way for Mark Anthony Designs to help in this dire time. The fact is, I am no expert in the medical area, but fashion is my area of expertise and I was confident that I knew how to make a great mask,” he said, adding that his masks “are made in fine designer style and detail”.

“Since that time, I have been fortunate enough to be able to donate 200 face masks to Dr Bradley Edwards, senior medical officer at May Pen Hospital. Additionally, Mark Anthony Designs has partnered with Dr Keisha Harrisigh to donate face masks to the Jamaica Constabulary Force,” the designer said.