Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Ambulatory Care Center (ACC) will welcome its first ophthalmology outpatients from August 4, following the permanent shifting of the clinics from Hamad General and Rumailah Hospitals. 
The Ophthalmology Department has seen 34% rise in outpatients and 13% increase in inpatients since 2016.
The move will be followed later in the month by the relocation of all ophthalmology surgical services from Rumailah Hospital and all ophthalmology outpatient services from Hamad General Hospital, except emergency services, which will continue to be offered at Hamad General Hospital’s Emergency Department. 
Dr Fatima al-Mansouri, senior consultant and head of HMC’s Ophthalmology Department said the move to the ACC will provide both patients and care teams with a more spacious environment. She said care teams will be able to accommodate a larger number of patients, offering an improved patient experience. Dr al-Mansouri noted there are also plans to introduce several new services at the department’s new location, including refractive eye surgery.
Ophthalmology outpatient clinics are located on the sixth floor of ACC, while the operating theatres are located on the second floor. Inpatient and admissions are located in the neighbouring Qatar Rehabilitation Institute and both buildings are linked through a bridge.
“To ensure as smooth a transition as possible for our patients, our team has spent many months preparing for the move of our ophthalmology services from Hamad General Hospital and Rumailah Hospital to the ACC. I am delighted that we will now be able to offer a complete service, including clinics, surgery, and inpatient stays at this fantastic facility which will enable us to provide even more patients with the best possible care,” said Dr al-Mansouri.
Dr al-Mansouri noted that the Ophthalmology Department has seen 34% rise in outpatients and 13% increase in inpatients since 2016. She said the relocation of services to the new facility will now help patients access all their care needs, including pre- and post-surgical care, within the same location. The move to the new facility will also ensure patients have access to the most technologically advanced operating theatres and treatment rooms. 
The move of the remaining ophthalmology clinics will signal the final phase in the relocation of services to the ACC. The ACC welcomed its first patients to outpatient clinics in mid-2017 as part of a phased opening of the new facility.
“The number of patients being seen at the ACC continues to increase and the feedback we have received from those visiting our new facility for the first time is extremely positive. Being able to offer not only clinical but also surgical procedures in a single location means that we can provide the very best care to our patients with minimum inconvenience or disruption to their schedule,” added, Dr Khalid al-Jalham, director, ACC.
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