Beginning last Friday, elective surgeries were approved for Oklahoma as state hospitals showed the capacity to handle coronavirus patients and the normal patient workload.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health said surgery centers and hospitals who resume elective surgery must:

• Give coronavirus tests to patients before procedures
• Patients must show a negative coronavirus test within 48 hours of surgery.
• Doctors should not operate on a patient with a medical history of coronavirus until at least two tests have come back negative.
• Hospitals should use proper personal protection equipment (PPE) and they are responsible to acquire those PPEs. Oklahoma’s Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) supply will be prioritized to health care professionals on the front lines dealing with coronavirus patients.

“Oklahomans across the state have delayed critical procedures to allow our medical system to prepare for new demands as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Commissioner of Health Gary Cox. “As we begin to reintegrate core health care services, OSDH is asking elective surgery centers and hospitals to establish partnerships with private labs to process COVID-19 tests on all patients prior to performing a procedure and to assist us in increasing overall COVID-19 testing across the state.”

Since April 24, any surgical procedure for conditions that are not life-threatening and which, if not provided, would have the potential for increasing morbidity or mortality can be performed in Oklahoma. All minor medical procedures and non-emergency dental procedures such as outpatient surgeries or procedures for non-life-threatening illnesses may resume May 1.