Are there enough dermatologists for everyone? A hard-to-solve crisis
Years ago Andy Aguilar noticed something wasn't right with her skin. When she visited her doctor looking for a solution, she was met with an ordeal.
She was passed around from specialist to specialist, collecting incorrect diagnosis after incorrect diagnosis and taking the brunt of the consequences of the misguided treatments that came with them as her frustration with her healthcare providers grew.
Each new appointment with a new dermatologist came with its ever-extending waiting period as her symptoms worsened before her eyes.
After several years, many healthcare providers and six different dermatologists later, she found the diagnosis and treatment she needed, but rebuilding the trust in the healthcare sector took much longer.
Like Andy, thousands of patients all over the world face the same hurdle, feeling alone and forgotten by both the public and private healthcare sectors as their chronic condition worsens with each day.