OKLAHOMA (KNWA/KFTA) — In preparation for elective surgeries resuming in Oklahoma on April 24th, the Oklahoma State Department of Health issued the guidelines for elective surgery centers and hospitals.
The testing guidelines are:
- Elective surgery centers and hospitals must administer COVID-19 tests in partnership with private labs to test all patients prior to surgery.
- Patients should receive a negative COVID-19 test result within 48 hours of the scheduled procedure.
- Elective surgery centers and hospitals should not perform an operation on a patient with a medical history of COVID-19 until that patient has received two negative COVID-19 test results.
The OSDH also specified personal protective equipment (PPE) guidelines stating:
- Employees at elective surgery centers and hospitals, to include reception staff and non-medical support staff, should wear cloth face masks in accordance with CDC guidelines.
- Elective surgery centers and hospitals will be responsible for procuring their own personal protective equipment (PPE) for all employees. Centers and hospitals should not perform elective surgeries without proper PPE.
- The state’s Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) supply will be prioritized to health care professionals on the front lines of treating and interacting with COVID-19 positive patients or individuals under investigation for COVID-19.
This comes after Arkansas announced that it would be resuming elective surgeries beginning Monday, April 27th.
