Inverness doctor's Safe Hands campaign cranks up sanitiser production with Highland distillery's help
A GP working to boost the fight against Covid-19 in rural Highland towns and villages has taken delivery of the campaign group’s first large volume supplies of hand sanitiser and refill stations.
Inverness-based Dr Ross Jaffrey, who runs medical surgeries in Beauly, Muir of Ord and Cannich, set up Safe Hands Save Lives to target smaller communities where coronavirus might be more easily contained.
He believes those 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.
Dr Jaffrey 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 shops, surgeries and care centres, as well as community volunteers helping the vulnerable, were finding hand sanitiser supplies difficult to obtain.
Invergordon’s Whyte & Mackay distillery has stepped in to offer seven filled 20-litre jerry cans for distribution, with more to follow.
The whisky firm also worked with neighbouring firm SMC Cosmetics UK to fill 300 500 ml bottles of hand sanitiser, adding to supplies from firms including Loch Ness Spirits and Dornoch Distillery.
The huge effort will soon begin to make an impact on the ground, with venues like Kirkhill’s Community Cupboard and The Muir Hub in Muir of Ord set to be among the first to distribute supplies.
Dr Jaffrey, whose social media group now has almost 2000 members, is de;lighted 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.
“That way, shops and other groups can know where to access it.
“We are hopeful we can ramp up production and keep spreading the message.”
