MONTREAL -- The Jewish General Hospital is putting out a call for financial help from the community as part of its fight against COVID-19.

“We have over 120 COVID patients right now, as we speak, at the Jewish General and some of them are very ill,” said Jewish General Hospital Foundation spokesperson Bram Freedman. “We have real immediate needs, but it's also about planning for the future.”

Freedman said the fundraising campaign's goal is $5 million, which will go towards funding several projects, including COVID-19 related research projects and a set of 3D printers which will be used to provide healthcare professionals with protective equipment.

“We're about to start 3D printing face visors, so we'll be able to print those in house,” he said.

The call for money comes as the hospital has begun pivoting to offering tele-health services, including for those infected with COVID-19. Those services help monitor symptoms for those in quarantine and seniors who are asked to avoid public spaces such as hospitals.

Nurse Rita Di Girolamo is among the staff reaching out to patients of the geriatrics clinic.

“I made a call about a patient who is 102 and she lives at home alone. She has dementia and the main caregiver is her daughter. Her main concern was what if she caught COVID and was going to die, who was going to care for her mother?” said Di Girolamo.

Terry Segal was the recipient of that call, which said made a big difference during a stressful time.

“I was absolutely terrified and I also didn't want to get her sick or anybody else in the building as well,” said Segal. “It's a lot of anxiety that really bothered me terribly. She gave me suggestions, she gave me solutions, but most importantly she was there. I had a phone number, I had someone to talk to.”