Muscat: The joint technical committee of government (civil and military) medical institutions today held a meeting during which it looked into an analysis of international bids from medicine manufacturers, as well as reports on medicine supply chains.
Views were exchanged at the meeting with a view to submitting recommendations to the national committee tasked with unified procurement of medicines in government medical institutions (civil and military).
The meeting was chaired by Dr. Hilal Ali Al Sabti, Minister of Health.
The meeting, held at the Ministry of Health, stressed the need to endorse the purchase of medicines in accordance with quality measures approved by regulatory authorities
The meeting also underscored the significance of supporting national medicine production companies and increasing government departments’ participation in national tender for the procurement of medicines.
The committee comprises experts and specialists from the following institutions: The Ministry of Health, the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, the Royal Oman Police’s medical services department, the Armed Forces Hospital and the medical services unit at the Diwan of Royal Court.
The meeting was aimed to ensure the availability of medicines, standardize treatment protocols, observe quality and safety standards and give priority to national and local companies, without prejudice to quality and safety requirements.
The joint technical committee of government medical institutions (civilian and military) also undertakes to develop uniform centralization in purchase that ensures sustainable availability of medicines and medical supplies.
It studies steps for espousing a clear and specific drug policy based on international tenders from the manufacturers of medicines.