St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) in Quezon City on Monday launched "The Skin Center by St. Luke’s."

The hospital’s Skin Center offers a comprehensive range of cutting-edge clinical, aesthetic, and skin care procedures.

During his speech, Dr. Dennis Serrano, SLMC’s CEO and President, said there was a "debt to pay in advancing dermatology" in its Quezon City branch.

"There really was a huge debt to pay, and I promised to do everything we can in order to surpass what we offer in Global [City] here in Quezon City," Serrano said.

"This is where dermatology in St. Luke's actually began," he added. "Hopefully the opening of the Skin Center is just the beginning."

Meanwhile, SLMC Quezon City's Dermatology Department Head Dr. Cynthia Tan recalled how they were almost forced to close down because they were not meeting quotas.

"Covid time came, lalong hindi kami kumota (we didn't hit our quotas). We got a note from the admin that we will be closing," Tan recounted.

"We went to Dr. Art dela Pena and Dr. Ben [Campomanes], [saying] 'Sir you cannot close us, we had the residency program in QC,' and we said we are the originals," she added.

Tan shared that they bargained for the Dermatology Department of SLMC Quezon City to be given the lowest patient quota.

"They were very very nice to give us the lowest quota and God is good," Tan added, noting they were able to exceed the quota by more than 1.2 million patients.

Among The Skin Center’s services offered are precise removal of skin cancer, pediatric dermatology, and cosmetic dermatology.