BUFFALO, N.Y. — Local hospitals tell us they are in desperate need of face masks for patients and hospital staff because of a national shortage.
We've heard from local groups interested in making face masks to help fill the demand.
According to health care experts, this shortage of face masks is an issue that basically every hospital is dealing with.
Kaleida Health tells us that they are operating with about a 2-3 week supply of face masks.
They are in need of stocking up and will accept basically any form of face mask right now, even if they're homemade.
Kaleida says they're using 3,500 masks per day already for hospital staff, patients and limited visitation. The health care provider, says it needs Non-95 masks and N-95 masks, but it will accept any type of mask because of this shortage.
Kaleida has gone to social media asking for help.
"We're in unprecedented times, but what we're doing because we have a supply issue moving forward and it's not something generated by us like I said before we're competing nationally and internationally with supplies and for supplies," said Mike Hughes, a spokesperson for Kaleida Health.
Some community groups such as Habitat for Humanity and the Building Trades Union have stepped up and donated about 20,000 face masks to Kaleida but the health care provider says they need more.
We have heard from some local efforts of companies and groups donating masks.
A local forwarding/warehouse company in Tonawanda is donating 68,000 N-95 respirator masks. The company does not want to be known. 30,000 masks are going to Catholic Health; 30,000 to Kaleida Health.
The rest are being donated to local Ken-Ton first responders.
Kaleida says their drop off site is at their security office the address there is 1028 Main Street in Buffalo, which is open 24-7.
If you want to drop off masks, you can do so there.