Around 3,000 people in Madeira are waiting for dermatology consultations, according to SESARAM, with fewer than 500 of those cases considered urgent. Tiago Esteves, Director Dermatology SESARAM, told RTP Madeira that the service faces major difficulties in training and recruiting new dermatologists, while demand for care keeps increasing. He said the waiting list has been reduced year after year, but dermatology remains one of the medical areas with the greatest shortage of doctors. The specialist also warned that skin diseases and skin cancer are becoming more common, and that the incidence of skin cancer is rising by around 6% every year in Portugal. Doctors say melanoma is the most serious form, and in Madeira the usual annual total of around 30 diagnoses could be exceeded in 2025 and approach 40 cases. RTP Madeira reported that 50 patients were contacted for a screening campaign, and residents highlighted the importance of prevention and sunscreen use. Tiago Esteves also expressed concern that melanoma is being diagnosed at younger ages, including among people from 20 or 30 years old, and urged people to watch for suspicious lesions using the ABCDE rule.
