Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021 - A recent interview with an Oklahoma rural emergency room doctor, Dr. Jason McElyea, has caused a stir regarding ER care at NHS-Sequoyah located in Sallisaw.
In a recent interview with KFOR in Oklahoma City, Dr. McElyea was quoted as saying that hospitals he works at are becoming overwhelmed from people taking ivermectin. He went on to state that ERs are so backed up that gunshot victims are "having hard times getting to facilities where they can get definitive care and be treated."
Hospital administrator Stephanie Six said today that this is simply not the case in Sallisaw.
"We at NHS-Sequoyah have not seen or had any patients in our ER or hospital with ivermectin overdose," Six said. "We have not had any patients with complaints or issues related to ivermectin."
The KFOR interview with Dr. McElyea stated that he was associated with the Sallisaw hospital. Six wants the public to know that he does not speak for NHS-Sequoyah and there have been no such issues at her facility.
Six stated that Dr. McElyea has treated patients in the Sallisaw emergency room but not in the past several months.
"I can't speak for what he has witnessed at other facilities but this in not true for ours," Six said. "We certainly have not turned any patients away due to an overload of ivermectin related cases. All patients who have come into our ER have been treated as appropriate."
As cases of the Delta variant of COVID-19 increase across the U.S., there has been a lot of talk of people taking ivermectin, a drug primarily intended for large livestock, available at farm supply and feed stores.
According to the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) they "have not authorized or approved invermectin for use in preventing or treating COVID-19 in humans or animals." Ivermectin is approved for human use to treat infections caused by some parasitic worms and head lice and skin conditions like rosacea but only by prescription from a physician.
The FDA also states that "taking large does of ivermectin is dangerous." Ivermectin overdose can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hypotension and host of other issues.
Six added that the hospital has received several calls after the circulation of the interview with Dr. McElyea. "We want everyone to know that we are working hard to provide quality healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. Again, I can not speak for Dr. McElyea or any other facility but we are not overrun with patients with ivermectin related issues."
KXMX News Staff
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