DOHA: Patients referred to a specialist dental clinic at the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) will be able to avail of the services through a fixed time appointment system to be introduced shortly.
The specialist dental services provided by the Department of Dentistry based in Rumailah Hospital and the OPD Annex will be available through the new system. The aim of the new system is to ensure the most urgent cases are seen first, waiting times in clinics are reduced and that patients have more time with the specialist dentists, HMC said yesterday.
The services provided by the Department of Dentistry are only for those patients needing specialist treatment such as orthodontics, periodontics, pedodontics and endodontics.
Primary dental services are available at the health centres including extractions, fillings and other general services and in case of dental emergencies.
If Primary Health Care dentists believe patients needs to see a specialist then they will refer them to HMC. Then, instead of having to visit Rumailah Hospital or the OPD Annex to get an appointment, the HMC Patient Contact Centre will call the patient to fix a time for their appointment. Patients who have the most urgent case will be seen first.
Maqsood Ibrahim Adam, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Rumailah Hospital said: “We want to make sure our specialist dentists dedicate their time treating patients with more complex needs. If a patient needs to see a dentist they should first visit their Primary Health Centre where the dentist will conduct an assessment and either treat them or refer them to HMC if necessary.”
“All referrals to HMC will be reviewed by a dentist and they will assign the earliest available appointments to the most urgent cases. The new fixed time appointment system will mean less waiting in the clinic, the most urgent cases being fast tracked and patients receiving more dedicated and protected time with their dentist,” he added.
HMC is asking patients to keep to their fixed appointment time. They may call the Patient Contact Centre on +974 4439 5777 for any information related to the appointments.
The Peninsula
