HMC’s Travel clinic expands to meet increasing demand – The Peninsula

HMC’s Travel clinic expands to meet increasing demand – The Peninsula

Travel Clinic at Hamad Medical Corporation’s Communicable Diseases Center (CDC) has expanded its services to meet the increasing demand, said a senior official.

Since its opening in 2017, over 4,366 travellers have sought services at the clinic while the number of travellers seeking services has increased in 2021 by 25% compared to 2020.

The clinic is now open twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays and will expand further soon to meet the increase in demand, Medical Director of the CDC, Dr. Muna Al Maslamani told The Peninsula.

According to her, three types of individuals seek services at the Travel Clinic.

“The main category is travellers who require proper travel risk assessment, counseling and administration of proper vaccinations and prophylactic medications as required according to their travel destinations and activity and those are 85 % from our customers,” said Dr. Al Maslamani.

“Others are sick returning travellers, who came back from their travel sick and require specialised care and counseling with proper diagnosis and treatment and those around 3% are from our customers,” she said, adding that returning travellers are present with febrile illness due to different causes like malaria, typhoid, dengue, chikungunya and some with skin rash and parasitic infections and tickborne disease.

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