Shura panel discusses Omanisation plan with Health Minister

Energy Wednesday 12/June/2019 20:42 PM
By: Times News Service
Shura panel discusses Omanisation plan with Health Minister

MUSCAT: The Health and Environment Committee in Majlis Al Shura hosted on Wednesday Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Saeedi, Minister of Health, to discuss a number of topics related to the health sector in the Sultanate.
The meeting was held in the presence of Khalid bin Hilal Al Ma’awali, Chairman of Majlis, Mohammed bin Abubaker Al Ghassani, Deputy Chairman, Ali bin Khalfan Al Qutaiti, Chairman of the Health and Environment Committee, members of the Committee and a number of Shura members.
The meeting was attended by Sheikh Dr Ali bin Talib Al Hinai, Undersecretary of the Ministry for Planning Affairs, Dr Mohammed bin Saif Al Hosani, Undersecretary of the Ministry for Health Affairs and Sayyid Dr Sultan bin Yarub Al Busaidi, Health Affairs Advisor at the Ministry.
The discussions of the Health Committee focused on several issues, including: the plan of the Ministry of Health in the Omanisation and replacement in health jobs during the next five years, health insurance, as well as the financial deficit and the reasons for the low budget of the Ministry of Health and its impact on health services, in addition to health investment and its role in the development of the private sector.
It also discussed the implications of raising the fees for services in the private and public health sector, as well as the importance of providing specialised health care (level-3) in the various governorates, in addition to the ministry’s position on the declared health projects that have not been implemented or are planned to be implemented.
During the meeting, the health minister highlighted the Ministry’s efforts in recent years and the most important achievements at the international and local levels. He said that despite the difficulties in funding and budgets faced by the health sector in recent years, the Sultanate has been able to maintain its position among the countries of the world in the field of health systems effectiveness.
For their part, the members raised a number of queries and interventions focused on various aspects of the health system, including: Omanisation and replacement in the health sector and the situation of job seekers and their employment in health institutions in the public and private sectors. The Minister of Health pointed out that all Omani graduates from medicines colleges have been either employed or trained, stressing that the ministry absorbs all medical outputs and provide them with various training programmes.
He stressed that Omanisation rate among consultants is 64 per cent, Omani doctors in health sector is 39 per cent while the number of expatriates reached 61 per cent.
During the session, extensive discussions were held on various health issues, including the demand to strengthen medical services in the various governorates of the Sultanate and to review the fees imposed on some health services in private health institutions.
The members of Majlis A’Shura appealed to the ministry to intensify the control of the standardisation of the purchase of medicines in all health institutions in the Sultanate, and to monitor the quality of medications that are prescribed in various public and private health institutions.