Health insurance implementation to start by year-end: Minister

Muscat: Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Saidi, Minister of Health said that the health insurance project will be implemented, especially after completion of all studies, as the project will enrich the private health institutions to improve the quality.
He said in a statement that the health insurance project will be gradually implemented before the end of this year, as it will be mandatory for the private institutions first and then on the Omanis, stressing that the project must be applied correctly and carefully.
He pointed out that the Ministry of Health in cooperation with a South Korean Insurance Company has prepared a study on the health insurance project submitted to the relevant authorities in the Sultanate and was approved by the Council of Ministers and assigned to a quasi-governmental agency for implementation.
He added that the ministry has established an investment and finance department. The department has worked to list all the lands or assets belonging to the Ministry of Health and will put them to investment in coordination with all other government agencies.
He added that the ministry has started partnership with the private sector for years, where the ministry buys some services from the private sector as long as these health institutions have medical standards.
In response to a question about the high prices of services provided by private hospitals, he explained that the prices of services provided by private institutions in the Sultanate, compared to many countries, are affordable and reasonable and this is consistent with the health expenditure in Oman compared to other countries where the government spends per capita annually about $1,650, the Ministry of Health’s share of this cost is $750, which provides 83 per cent of the health services in the Sultanate.