Omanization rate in the Ministry of Health increased to 72% in 2019 compared to 69% in 2016.

Muscat: The sixth regular session of the 2nd annual sitting (2020/ 2021) of the 9th term (2019-2023) of Majlis Ash Shura will start shortly. The session is hosted H.E. Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Saidi, Minister of Heath.

By the end of 2019, the total number of employees in the Ministry of Health has reached 39413 at 72% of Omanization rate.

The medical and paramedical groups working in the Ministry of Health are representing 79% of the total employees.

From 2016 till the end of 2019, the total number of Omani workers in the Ministry of Health reached 3050 including 215 doctors, 1671 nurses, 251 pharmacists and 913 are from paramedical groups.

The Ministry of Health has four tertiary healthcare specialized hospitals namely the Royal Hospital, Khoula Hospital, Al-Nahda Hospital and Al-Massarah Hospital. The four hospitals include 1639 beds. The occupancy rate of the beds in these hospitals is 70,7%, and the maximum rate is reached 77,8% in the Royal Hospital. The total number of workers in these specialized hospitals is reach around 7606 employees including 1110 doctors and 3871 nurses.

The number of referral hospitals of the Ministry in the Governorates is nine hospitals. These hospitals have 2378 beds. The average occupancy rate of the beds in these hospitals is 65,2%. The highest rate of occupancy was 79,6% in Sohar Hospital.

In 2019, the number of visits to the outpatient clinics at the MOH institutions was 15,7 million visits at an average rate of 43000 visits per day.

In 2019, about 118000 surgeries were performed in the MOH’s hospitals compared to nearly 111000 surgeries in 2016. The major surgeries reached 42% of the total surgeries in 2019.

In 2019, the number of cardiovascular surgeries was reached 1190 surgeries. In 2016, 32 kidney transplant surgeries were performed in the sultanate.

MOH has devoted attention to enhance the specialized healthcare in the Sultanate through opening specialized clinics in the hospitals. For which, the number of new specialized clinics in the hospitals was reached 50 clinics from 2016 to 2019.

During the past four years, the Ministry has increased the number of accidents & emergency units to 4 units; in Jalan Bani Bu Ali Hospital, in Adam Hospital, a pediatric emergency unit in al-Nahdah Hospital, and the fourth one is in Hamra Al-Drooa Health Center. There are two new units in Izki and Yanqul Hospitals that are under construction.

MOH has increased the number of doctors specializing in accidents and emergencies to 79 doctors in 2019 compared to 66 doctors in 2016.

The specialization of nursing accidents & emergencies has been introduced in a bachelor degree. From 2016 to 2018, the number of graduates reached 45 specialized nurses. From 2018 to 2020, five doctors have been sent to study abroad in this field.

The NCD National scurvies indicated that in 2017, the prevalence rate of diabetes reached 15.7%, and the blood pressure rate was 33.3%. While the obesity rates have increased to 30.7% and 35.55 respectively.

The number of dialysis units has been enhanced to 23 units in 2019 across all the Governorates compared to 18 units in 2016 in only 10 Governorates. As the number of dialysis patients reached 1439 in 2015 and raised to 2023 patients in 2019, the number of dialysis beds has been increased from 217 beds in 2016 to 324 beds in 2019.

Sending for treatment abroad is only made when absolutely necessary for certain medical conditions and incurable diseases that cannot be treated in the Sultanate. Therefore, the Ministry has formed a specialized medical committee and studied the specializations available in the private health sector in the sultanate in order to reduce sending for treatment abroad through referring patients to these health institutions and the treatment expenses are covered by the Ministry. MOH is following up with the patients, who are treating abroad to utilize the treatment methods and the treatment possibilities in the Sultanate.

From 2016 to 2019, the number of cases sent for treatment abroad has been varied. In 2016, the number of these cases was 890 while in 2019, it reached 905 cases.

Despite the economic conditions being experienced by the Sultanate since 2015 until now as well the absence of financial provisions for new projects, the Ministry has continued to complete  the construction of projects for which funds were approved and that it.

started carrying out in the period preceding the economic conditions, including new projects, maintenance and expansions, as follows:

A, The New Projects: – Startups the construction of three new hospitals ( Sultan Qaboos hospital in Salalah, Suwaiq hospital, and Khasab hospital). – Construction of two new building for Madinat Al Haq hospital and Tawi Ateer  hospital. h centers.

The Ministry is preparing the tenth five-year plan, which will include proposals for new projects and expansions considering the financial possibilities to be adopted for the Ministry of Health, in order to be implemented over the years of the plan.  However, this is governed by the overall economic conditions in the country and the extent of improvement.

Despite all efforts exerted by the Ministry towards maintaining  the situation as dictated by the economic conditions the Sultanate has been going through since 2015 until now, the health development in the Sultanate still facing some challenges and difficulties

which are as follows:

a. Challenges related to financial resources.

b. Challenges related to health problems.

c. Challenges related to health services.

d. Challenges related to health human resources.

The number of laboratory-confirmed Covid -19 cases has reached more than (99) million case at the global level, while the number of deaths has reached more than (two million) deaths.

A steady increase in cases has recently been observed in many countries, coinciding with the onset of winter.

Locally, the number of COVID-19 cases from the beginning of the pandemic to its date has reached more than (133044) confirmed case.

(10685) case needed admission.  A number of (1521) Covid -19 related deaths were registered.

The last update of the data indicated a significant decrease in the number of infections, deaths, and rates of positive results for Covid 19 since mid-October 2020.

The number of infections is likely to increase considering the continuation of the pandemic globally. On the other hand, the use of non- pharmacological interventions (such as bans, closure of activities and borders) has become a major challenge for states and governments.

The solutions for the next stage are limited to strengthening social and institutional preventive measures (such as physical distancing, wearing masks and hand hygiene) in order to live safely with the pandemic until the vaccination of target groups in the Sultanate is completed according to the established plan.

In order to ensure that the Sultanate obtains the required quantities with the appropriate conditions in terms of the international quality of the vaccine, the speed of supply, and the economic feasibility study, several consultation and negotiation channels have been opened through the Global Alliance for Vaccines and the direct negotiation with the vaccine manufacturers.

The national campaign for immunization against COVID-19 was launched on December 28, 2021. A total of (27004) people have been vaccinated to date, with a 99% coverage rate of the target groups.

Covid-19 pandemic has negative impacts among which is causing severe pressure on health services, especially in intensive care departments, and has led to the consumption of financial resources to provide checks, medicines and protective equipment for medical and assistant medical categories.

Many lessons have been learned during this pandemic.  In carrying out the royal orders of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq – may Allah protect him, a new central public health laboratory was established.

The pandemic has contributed to promoting the use of information technology and artificial intelligence.

In their successive annual reports, international organizations have commended the Sultanate’s health achievements and effectiveness. This international acclaim is a source of pride for all of us as it expresses the success achieved by the Sultanate, in the field of health development as part of comprehensive development. It places us all in front of a responsibility to maintain and boost these achievements.

The challenge that faces us now is the ability to maintain and improve health indicators, which require us to join efforts of all sectors while strengthening and activating the role of society and the private sector, as the participation of community members in the preservation of their health is necessary to bring about healthy development. Definitely, health is one of the advanced priorities in the process comprehensive development

I take this opportunity to pledge His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, may Allah preserve and protect him, to pursue working to achieve a high level of health for His loyal people and residents of the Sultanate and for Oman to benefit from health development, and returns in various aspects of social and economic progress.