اخبار سلطنة عُمان – وطن نيوز
اخر اخبار سلطنة عُمان اليوم – اخبار سلطنة عُمان العاجلة
W6nnews.com ==== وطن === تاريخ النشر – 2026-04-26 09:56:00
Oman / Today, in its sixteenth regular session of the third regular session of the tenth term, the Shura Council hosted His Excellency Dr. Hilal bin Ali Al Sabti, Minister of Health, to discuss the Ministry’s statement on the reality of the health sector’s performance and evaluate its policies and executive programs. The statement addressed six main axes that included institutional performance, development projects, quality of health services, crisis management, and health transformation, in addition to financial sustainability, within the framework of a comprehensive review of the Ministry’s efforts and directions. His Excellency Dr. Hilal bin Ali Al Sabti, Minister of Health, said that the Ministry has worked on completing an important group of strategic health projects included in the tenth five-year development plan, the most prominent of which are the adoption of the National Health Policy, the National Policy for Governance and Management of Health Information, and the launch of the “Omani System for Accreditation of Health Institutions.” His Excellency added that among the achievements are the completion of an assessment of the performance of the health system in cooperation with the World Health Organization, the completion of the National Health Survey for Non-Communicable Diseases, and the pre-marital medical examination that has entered into force. Implementation on January 1 of this year, 2026, in accordance with Royal Decree No. (111/2025) to protect family stability and reduce hereditary health risks. His Excellency pointed out that the most prominent achievements of the tenth five-year development plan (2021-2025) through the strategic program for comprehensive health coverage of the health priority in the “Oman 2040” vision (infrastructure project), which included the operation of Al Mazyouna, Al Suwaiq, Khasab, and Wadi Bani Khalid hospitals; Thus, the number of hospitals affiliated with the Ministry to date has become 56, in addition to the operation of the Central Public Health Laboratory, and four specialized centers: the Fertility Center at Khawla Hospital, the Muscat Recovery Center Phase 1 at Al Masarra Hospital, the Recovery Center in Sohar, and the National Center for Virtual Health. His Excellency stated that among the achievements are the operation of the Al Salam Health District complexes in Al Maabilah and the Al Nahda Health District in Al Amerat, and raising the efficiency of the Liwa Health Center to a health complex, in addition to the operation of a number of health centers, namely: Al Jardaa, Saih Al Maashi, Barbazum, Muqshin, Marsudd, Balad Sit, Al-Halaniyat, the expansion of the National Center for Cardiac Medicine and Surgery at the Royal Hospital and the expansion of Sohar, Nizwa and Sur hospitals. To raise the level of tertiary care services. His Excellency pointed out the creation of between twenty and thirty new specialized services in secondary reference hospitals in the governorates within the framework of the Ministry’s activation of the decentralization of health services therein. The development also included a wide range of health centers to increase their absorptive capacity, including centers: Sumara, Hafeet, Al Multaqa, Al Turaif, Al Mashayeq, Abu Baqara, Al Awabi, Nakhal, Awqad, Western Salalah, Al Sa’ada, Al Ma’abila, Al Nahda, Al Mudhaibi, Al-Qabil, Ibra, Al-Kamil, Falaj Al-Mashayikh, the Medical Fitness Center in Ibra, and Jalan Health Complex. His Excellency pointed out that the Thumrait Health Center and the hospitals in the states of Qurayyat, Sinaw, Wadi Dima, Al-Taiyin, Duqm, Haima and Adam have been upgraded and raised, in addition to operating nine dialysis units in the states of Bahla, Al-Khaboura, Sur, Al-Amerat, Yanqul, Saham, Barka, Mahout and Al-Jazar. His Excellency also indicated the establishment and expansion of seven emergency units. In Sohar, Nizwa, Yanqul and Adam hospitals, and in the Izki Health Complex and the Mahout and Hamra Ad-Duru’ health centres, indicating that maintenance budgets for the general directorates of health services in the governorates have been enhanced by an amount of 7 million Omani riyals during the tenth five-year development plan. His Excellency stressed that the priorities in the next phase are to sustain the provision of comprehensive health care to the population in the Sultanate of Oman at all levels, and to develop new care models and population health clusters to improve care. Health, and raising the efficiency of secondary and tertiary services in the governorates to facilitate the process of decentralized access to them, and enhancing the efficiency and adequacy of health human resources in terms of localization, recruitment, retention, and development of the national health workforce as a top priority. His Excellency added that the efficiency and effectiveness of infrastructure management is being developed and increased by completing health development projects, operating them, and maintaining buildings to ensure their sustainability and preparing them to improve response to crises, risks, and emergencies, in addition to keeping pace with modern technologies and artificial intelligence for the sake of high-quality technical medical services. He stated. His Excellency said that among the priorities are empowering the private health sector through the localization of health services and Omanisation, enhancing drug security and pharmaceutical industries, investment opportunities in the health sector, and implementing the Omani system for accrediting health institutions, in addition to strengthening coordination and cooperation frameworks between health sector institutions and health development partners in the public and private sectors in the Sultanate of Oman, international organizations and civil society. Regarding the Ministry’s plan during the next stage, His Excellency indicated that it is represented in a group of projects with a strategic dimension in the eleventh five-year development plan. (2026-2030), which is in the planning and design stage, and includes: the National Center for Women and Children’s Health, the National Center for Ophthalmology and Surgery, the National Rehabilitation Centre, the establishment of a genetic and genetic database (the Omani Genome), the completion of the Al-Namaa, Samail and Al-Falah hospital projects, and work on the second phase of recovery homes in Muscat with a capacity of 250-300 beds, in addition to rehabilitation facilities, in addition to a number of hospitals that are in the planning stage. And design. His Excellency clarified that requests received to the Ministry through various channels related to establishing and replacing health institutions are taken into account, but the work is carried out according to a five-year plan and approved standards and methodologies for determining priorities. The projects are presented annually according to their importance, and in coordination with Their Highnesses, Excellencies and Excellencies the Governors, according to the matrix of the Ministry of Economy, taking into account the availability of the necessary financial allocations for implementation and operation. His Excellency pointed out that indicators of the efficiency of the health system showed the success of the Ministry of Health in reducing the mortality rate of children under the age of five; To reach (9.9) deaths per thousand live births in 2024 AD, compared to (10.3) deaths in 2021. The infant mortality rate also recorded a significant decrease, reaching 8 deaths per 1,000 live births. These numbers reflect the success of early medical interventions. This places the Sultanate of Oman in an advanced position in the reports of international organizations such as UNICEF. His Excellency indicated that the results showed an improvement in the maternal mortality rate, as it decreased from 17.3 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2021 to about 11.5 in 2025. This achievement is attributed to comprehensive coverage of prenatal care and an increase in the percentage of births that take place under the supervision of specialized medical staff in institutions. Equipped with the latest technology; Which contributed to reducing the risks associated with pregnancy and childbirth. His Excellency stated that the Ministry was able to reduce the percentage of new patients who wait four weeks or more to obtain an outpatient appointment in the referral hospitals in the governorates, as the percentage decreased from 32% in the baseline to reach 24% in 2025. His Excellency indicated that the national (tertiary) hospitals recorded a greater improvement in this context; The percentage of waiting for more than four weeks decreased from 50% to 30%, which represents a qualitative leap in the speed of response to complex specialized cases. His Excellency indicated that the results showed an improvement in the maternal mortality rate, as it decreased from 17.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2021 to about 11.5 in 2025. This achievement is attributed to comprehensive coverage of prenatal care. Childbirth, and the high percentage of births that take place under the supervision of specialized medical teams within health institutions equipped with the latest technologies, which contributed to reducing the risks associated with pregnancy and childbirth. With regard to surgical interventions, His Excellency explained that the Ministry has succeeded in raising the percentage of patients who wait less than 18 weeks for non-emergency surgical operations to reach 83 percent, in line with best international practices and standards. His Excellency stressed that the Sultanate of Oman has achieved pioneering medical achievements, most notably the success of the first procedure. A brain-dead heart transplant for an Omani patient suffering from heart failure, in addition to the success of implanting the first artificial heart of the HeartMate 3 type, in addition to a number of other medical achievements. He pointed out that the Ministry of Health has won a number of prestigious awards, including the Physician Leadership Award from the International Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education in the United States of America, the Dr. Lee Jong-wook Memorial Award for Public Health in Communicable Disease Management, and the His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Award. Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for health care research for the elderly, and the Ihsan Daghramji Award for Family Health, in addition to the selection of the Central Public Health Laboratories as a collaborating center in the field of emerging and emerging infectious diseases, which is the first of its kind in the Eastern Mediterranean region, and the Sultanate of Oman obtaining the World Health Organization certificate for eliminating the transmission of HIV (AIDS) and syphilis from mother to child. His Excellency stressed that human resources are the basic pillar of any health system, and attracting, developing and retaining them is an element. Pivotal in achieving the goals of the health sector, the Ministry has given importance to reviewing the policies and regulations governing the medical and allied health categories to enhance efficiency and retention in light of the global challenges associated with the scarcity of health personnel. His Excellency explained that the total number of employees increased from 37,732 in 2021 to 44,534 in 2025, and the Omanization percentage increased to 71.0%, especially in nursing and allied and administrative medical jobs, and the Omanization percentage in pharmacists and instrumentation engineers reached The medical level was 97.7%, and the administrative and financial level was 99.8%, while the categories of health assistants and interns reached 100%, and 12,602 employees were appointed during the years of the tenth five-year plan, and 2,335 employees were appointed to the employment training system, in addition to the presence of 640 current trainees, with the announcement of 850 employment training opportunities for the year 2026 in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor. His Excellency stated that it is In support of the National Employment Programme, the Ministry formed an Employment Governance Committee in the private health sector, which contributed to monitoring job seekers in health specialties, as the percentages of job seekers decreased significantly, reaching 1.7% in dentistry, 1.1% in pharmacists and their assistants, and less than 0.5% in nursing, reflecting the market’s approach to full employment for these categories. His Excellency indicated that the Ministry is working in coordination with the Ministries of Labor and Education to align education outcomes with the needs of the labor market and geographical distribution. For health cadres, stressing the continued implementation of the plan to operate development projects in a way that contributes to providing various job opportunities that include medical, administrative and technical aspects, supporting small and medium enterprises and creating training opportunities for graduates. His Excellency explained that the Ministry is working to develop the supply chains of medicines and medical supplies by introducing modern technologies and conducting the necessary studies to enhance the efficiency of storage and transportation. It has raised the budget of the strategic stock to 10 million Omani riyals to ensure the availability of medicines and medical supplies in emergency circumstances and to confront epidemics and disasters while maintaining a stock that covers consumption. Three months of vital items, and work is also underway to establish medical warehouses in the governorates and establish the regional warehouse in Musandam Governorate, in addition to studying geopolitical tensions and their potential impact on supply chains and taking measures to ensure the availability of supplies for a period of no less than six months. His Excellency pointed out that the medical industries sector witnessed gradual growth from 1997 until 2026, with the number of factories reaching 20, including 8 for medicines, 2 for pharmaceutical raw materials, and 11 for medical supplies, in addition to 18 A project under construction and development. His Excellency Dr. Hilal bin Ali Al Sabti, Minister of Health, stressed that the private health sector is an essential partner in the health system, and includes 36 private hospitals, 191 centers for examining expatriate workers, and 2,322 private health institutions, and receives more than 4 million visits annually with about 45,124 surgical operations performed, and more than 22,655 health and administrative staff work in it, in addition to 623 visiting doctors, which contributes to enhancing the exchange of experiences and developing health services. The session was chaired by His Excellency Khalid bin Hilal Al-Maawali, Chairman of the Shura Council, in the presence of His Excellency Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Nadabi, Secretary-General of the Council, and their Excellencies the members.
