A group of stitchers who helped to sew more than 3,000 sets of scrubs for healthcare workers during the pandemic have been praised for their efforts.
The talented group of 150 stitchers presented two patchwork quilts to healthcare staff at the South West Acute Hospital this week to mark the commitment of local healthcare staff throughout the pandemic.
Health Minister Robin Swann accepted the quilts on behalf of the staff, while a number of those who helped with the scrubs were also in attendance. One of those was local sewer Margaret Houston, who said the generosity of the local community was ‘amazing’.
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“I have been sewing for over 40 years and I saw Clara needed sewers to make the scrubs so I offered to help.
“When we saw the idea was getting bigger I took on the Fermanagh side and recruited around 60 sewers of all ages to help, the oldest being 85 years old.
“I travelled to Enniskillen twice a week to get fabric to the sewers and pick up scrubs they had ready. I took orders for the scrubs from the South West Acute Hospital, Enniskillen all different departments/local care homes and outside carers. I cut all the patterns out myself every night to give to the sewers when I met them.
“A local church donated 1000 shirts to me which I turned into scrub tops and showed the ladies how to make them. We used every bit of fabric we could get as at that stage we had no funds.”
“The generosity of the local people was amazing. Everyone wanted to help in any way they could. Making scrubs or delivering to where they were needed. I also packed all the orders and made sure they were delivered to the hospital and care homes. It was tough going and took every hour of the day, however, it was an experience I’ll never forget.”
Minister Swann said healthcare staff had responded ‘heroically’ during the pandemic and was grateful for those who volunteered to provide the scrubs.
He said: “I am delighted to be here today to express my sincere thanks to the Fermanagh and Omagh Hubs of NI Scrubs for the support and commitment they have shown to not only the health service across Fermanagh and Tyrone, but also the role you play in the local community.
“These quilts will serve as a fitting reminder of how the entire community came together to support our healthcare staff during the pandemic.
“As staff across the health service responded heroically to the massive challenges they faced, the support of the public for their efforts was expressed in numerous ways, not least through the likes of NI Scrubs who helped provide thousands of scrubs.”
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