Highland campaign to secure hand sanitiser and refill stations for rural communities gathers pace after firms in Dornoch and Invergordon are among those to step forward
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A GP working to boost the fight against Covid-19 has taken delivery of the campaign group’s first large volume supplies of hand sanitiser and refill stations.
Dr Ross Jaffrey, who runs medical surgeries in Beauly as well as Muir of Ord and Cannich set up Safe Hands Saves Lives to target smaller communities where coronavirus might be more easily contained.
He believes rural areas have a unique opportunity to limit the spread of the virus by ensuring high standards of hygiene at a relatively small number of premises.
He is also striving to raise local awareness of the crucial part hand-washing and sanitising can play in saving lives and easing the strain on the NHS.
But he found some local venues and community volunteers were finding hand sanitiser supplies difficult to obtain.
Brothers Simon and Phil Thompson of Dornoch Distillery have now stepped in to offer seven filled 20-litre jerry cans for distribution as refill stations, with more to follow.
Invergordon’s Whyte & Mackay distillery has also been working with neighbouring firm SMC Cosmetics UK to provide 300 filled 500 ml bottles of hand sanitiser, adding to supplies from Dornoch Distillery and Loch Ness Spirits.
Venues like Kirkhill’s Community Cupboard and The Muir Hub in Muir of Ord are to be among the first to distribute supplies.
Dr Jaffrey, whose social media group now has almost 2000 members, is delighted with progress.
“I can’t thank the firms working with us enough,” the 44-year-old said. “It is crucial we get the message out there along with the supplies, so as well as distributing the first samples to places like Beauly and Muir of Ord over the next few days, we are going to produce flyers with contact details.”
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