The Communicable Diseases Center offers comprehensive in patient and out patient services for infectious disease patients. Pic: Abdul Basit / The Peninsula
Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Communicable Diseases Center (CDC) has begun to treat patients with general communicable diseases such as pneumonia, complicated urinary tract infection and meningitis.
Patients with such diseases can now get quality medication from the centre. Also, the centre has significantly reduced the waiting time for follow-up treatment, allowing quicker treatment for patients.
The follow up visits have been reduced from 10 to 12 weeks to three to four weeks while the average hospital stay of patients has been reduced from 29 day to 20 days, Muna Al Maslamani, Medical Director, CDC told The Peninsula.
CDC was initially seeing patients with tuberculosis (TB), respiratory diseases and other infectious diseases including leprosy, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), influenza, measles, hepatitis and Human Immunodeficiency Virus among other emerging and re-emerging infections.
“Now we have expanded our services and it includes diagnosis and treatment for general infectious diseases like complicated urinary tract infection, meningitis, all types of Pneumonia, osteomyelitis, infective endocarditis and also people who need prolong intervention such as antibiotic therapy. We opened the second floor in April for patients with non communicable infectious diseases,” said Dr Al Maslamani.
“Also we have reduced the waiting time for follow up clinics from ten to 12 weeks to three to four weeks. However the appointments are given through the triage system depending on the condition of the patient. But any walk in patient will be seen immediately. The laboratory and pharmacy services are now available 24 hours and inpatient stay at the hospital has been reduced from 29 to 20 days,” she added.
The centre receives between 280 and 300 cases added per day of all infectious diseases for diagnosis, treatment and follows up, diagnosis and treatment. The number of cases seen at CDC per month is 8000 and its 96,000 cases annually.
CDC has 65 single-bedrooms, all with negative pressure and 100 percent fresh air exchange, with the capacity to be converted into isolation units in case of serious pandemics. The Center offers comprehensive inpatient services for infectious disease patients who need hospitalization and also houses 54 outpatient clinics per week providing services which include pre-marital counseling and education for those with infectious diseases.
It is the region’s first hospital dedicated to the identification and treatment of infectious diseases and is leading the fight against Tuberculosis (TB) in Qatar. CDC is home to the National TB Control Program and the state-of-the-art TB Laboratory.
“All patients with suspected or active TB are referred to the CDC from HMC facilities, Primary Health Care Corporation, the Medical Commission, private hospitals, and clinics as we are the only facility in the country to treat TB cases,” Dr Al Maslamani said.
“We receive around 50 to 70 cases per day from the Medical Commission as any new comer show symptoms or suspicious of TB during the mandatory tests will be referred to us for further investigation. They will come as walk in patients without any appointment and will be seen by us immediately,” said Dr Al Maslamani.
“We treat and follow up patients with active and latent TB. If we diagnose them with TB will immediately isolate and start giving treatment. Also If we find somebody who has been exposed to TB, we give them preventive treatment. We are giving priority for the household workers such as maids or drivers because they have close contact with the family. We see around 20 to 25 house hold workers per day and give them priority for appointments,” she said.
TB is the most common disease treated at the CDC as many people come to Qatar from high epidemic countries. Cases of leprosy, HIV, measles, mumps and hepatitis are among the other common diseases seen at the CDC.
The centre also has a focus on disease prevention as well as education and research. It has built strong collaborations with the Ministry of Public Health, Qatar University, Medical Commission and other stakeholders. Around 16 research papers have been published in local and international journals in 2016.
CDC also gives high importance in creating awareness about different infectious diseases. Awareness campaigns are being organized to coincide with the international health days dedicated to fight against diseases such as TB, hepatitis, HIV and malaria as well as on hand hygiene and immunization.
The CDC is also home to Qatar’s first dedicated and comprehensive Travel Clinic.
