Doha: The Department of Dermatology and Venereology at the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), as a centre-of-excellence for skin care, provides new services, facilities, and wide range of outpatient clinics for all important subspecialties in Qatar at an international standard, said a senior official.
The new services at the Department of Dermatology and Venereology include for example laser treatments for medical indications, eczema, psoriasis, vitiligo, hair fall, and many others. For elderly with special needs virtual Geriatric-Dermatology (GeriDerm) and Homecare Dermatology (HomeDerm) clinics were established, said Chairman of the Dermatology Department and Director of the Dermatology Institute at HMC, Prof. Martin Steinhoff.
The Department provides the best medical service at world-class standards with a holistic approach to patients and has seen a significant progress in the past four years with a 30% increase in the total number of patients seen across clinics at a reduced waiting time, Prof. Steinhoff told The Peninsula.
An experienced team of dermatologists provides a high level of care and a wide range of dermatology health services annually for about 70,000 patients with mild to severe skin conditions at Rumailah, Al Wakra, Al Khor and Cuban Hospital, said Prof. Steinhoff.
“The Department of Dermatology and Venereology has established clinics for 16 subspecialities, clinics are open from 7am to 3pm with plans to open evening clinics. In all these clinics we aim to provide the best care for our patients in Qatar,” he added.
“We have made extensive progress to invest in new technologies, diagnostic tools, and novel therapies recently. We have introduced new therapies, procedures for all types of skin disorders, and provide international standard quality of care in Qatar,” said Prof. Steinhoff.
“The laser medicine unit and new target therapies provided for skin disorders increase the efficiency of treatment and reduce negative side effects,” he added.
According to Prof. Steinhoff, the GeriDerm and HomeDerm clinics have expanded their patient care services by adding face-to-face consultations and convenient virtual sessions for older patients with skin diseases. All new referrals to the clinic will be seen by an interdisciplinary team of dermatologists and geriatricians for the patient’s first appointment. Follow up appointments will be arranged as either in-person or virtual consultation, depending on clinical need and patient preference.
Department of Dermatology and Venereology includes clinics for general complex conditions, emergencies, follow-up clinics, and subspecialties for dermatological surgery, laser medicine, phototherapy, allergies, eczema, psoriasis, vein diseases, STI clinic, acne, vitiligo, genetic skin conditions like ichthyosis or epidermolysis bullosa, for example, as well as autoimmune diseases or skin cancer.
According to Prof. Steinhoff with the new services and facilities the waiting time at dermatology clinics has reduced from 8 months to two weeks. “In case if a patient fails to get an appointment within three weeks, we suggest them to call the help desk,” said Prof. Steinhoff.
