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NEW ORLEANS, La. (WGNO)- Reopening days is here. The Emergency Department at Tulane Lakeside Hospital is back up and running. Forced to suspend services due to Covid-19, the emergency services were relocated to the Downtown location while they focused on fighting coronavirus.

Many people are fearful of seeking medical attention because they might catch the virus but, just because a pandemic is happening, doesn’t mean that their other health issues should go untreated.

“We found looking retrospectively throughout this pandemic that people are staying home, sometime inappropriately,” cautioned Dr. Prateek Adhikari, Medical Director of the Emergency Departement at Tulane Medical. “There are obviously some things, strokes heart attacks, severe abdominal pains that you can’t tough through those. You really have to be seen and really have someone help you through that.”

Now is the time to be strong brave and to see the medical attention needed.

“We’re really trying time get the word out to the community that it’s really time to come get you other medical needs taken care off and we’ve gotten a decent handle on our Covid-19 patients,” said Dr. Adhikari.

Reopening their doors, Tulane Lakeside Hospital is offering services for inpatients and performing select scheduled surgeries and procedures.

“It’s time now. We have figured out processes at our hospitals where we can get you to a safe spot. You are not going to be you know, bunking right next to somebody with coronavirus,” said Dr. Adhikari. “We have good safety protocols in the hospital and we’ve establish rapid testing protocols, so that helps a lot too.”

“I think the biggest thing the we want them to know is that our health care facilities are safe for them. That’s the big thing,” said Dr. Adhikari.

If you have an emergency, be prepared there are specific safety protocols in place now. One of those being you’ll be given a new mask that you must wear at all times.