After gathering dust for more than a year as education moved online during the pandemic, hundreds of tables and chairs from Dal's Sexton Campus are finally being put to use again — only not in the way you might expect.
Last Saturday, 200 tables and 300 chairs from the campus were delivered to an empty space in Dartmouth that will soon be hosting a large immunization clinic.
The tables, a standard two-foot by three-foot exam size with folding legs, will perfectly fit the requirements of the clinic that Nova Scotia Health is setting up for COVID-19 vaccinations.
It might seem like a small thing, but lending these tables and chairs for the clinic has allowed Public Health to move quickly and keep costs down.
"We’d like to thank everyone we worked with at Dal for their assistance with this,” says Jackie Spiers, health protection manager with Public Health. “It’s great to have so much support when setting up clinics like this — this site will make a significant contribution to getting Nova Scotians immunized against COVID-19.”
Furnishing solutions
Dalhousie has been supporting the COVID-19 vaccination process for a few months, so when this need was identified, the university was at the top of the list of potential partners. And, with classes and exams online due to pandemic restrictions, Dalhousie was in a position to help Public Health furnish the temporary clinic.
“By loaning them to Nova Scotia Health for their large immunization clinic in Dartmouth, we’re putting our exam tables and chairs to good use,” explains Darrell Boutilier, director of operations with Facilities Management. “Public Health will need them for six months, which means we’ll have them back in time for fall exams.”
The tables and chairs on loan from Dal will serve as immunization stations, provide recovery areas and be used to create staff spaces.
Further reading: Dalhousie plays key role in Nova Scotia's vaccination efforts