Doctors Praise Gov. Stitt’s Plan To Have Coronavirus (COVID-19) Only Hospital Locations

In the coming days, the governor promised to provide more details on his plan to create two COVID-19 patient only hospitals in Oklahoma.

A day after that revelation at a news conference, Oklahoma doctors praised the move.

“You are going to save on resources. You are going to save on transmission,” said Oklahoma State Medical Association President Dr. Larry Bookman.

He said every nurse, tech, doctor or specialist who comes into contact with a coronavirus patient walking into an Oklahoma emergency room has to be wearing masks, gowns and other personal protective equipment.

“All of our healthcare providers need them,” said Bookman, about the now in demand supplies.

The governor believes supplies can be saved by funneling patients into two spots in the state.

“You can concentrate your ventilators, specialists, nurses who take care of their patients,” added Bookman.

The other big benefit of consolidating, according to Dr. Bookman, is stopping the spread of the virus.

“If you put these people into hospitals in the general population, the infection to none infected patients is great,” said Bookman.

The Gastroenterologist understands the challenges of moving infected and non-infected patients in and out, but he believes the governor’s plan is a good strategy to flattening the curve.

“We have to stop the spread,” said Bookman.

Oklahoma Secretary of Health Jerome Loughridge told News 9 the hospitals in the Oklahoma City and Tulsa areas are still weeks away. He said the state has some time based on the predicted infection rates.