Oman will need an additional 13,000 doctors to meet the staff requirement in the healthcare system by 2040, said a report from the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI). An additional 2,146 pharmacists and 25,800 nurses will be required, it said.
An additional RO 759 million is required to maintain all these services.
The figures were revealed as the country celebrated the World Health Day on Saturday.
As per the Ministry of Health’s (MoH) health status indicators for 2016, there were 74 hospitals that offered 6,589 beds (14.9 per 10,000 of population). The total number of doctors were 8,622, followed by 19,762 nurses and 2,420 pharmacists.
The number of government health clinics and dispensaries is 266 and private clinics 1,000.
According to MoH, in 2016/2017 the total number of students in all the ministry’s Educational Health Institutes reached 579 (124 male and 455 female, of which 421 are nursing students). All enrolled students will complete the foundation programme and join the Baccalaureate programme in 2017/2018.
It also said 295 students have enrolled, of which 258 (male 39, female 219) are in BSc nursing programme and 37 in post-graduate diploma programme.
In a statement, Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Saeedi, Minister of Health, said: “Provision of healthcare in Oman is based on human rights. Oman has advanced Universal Health Care (UHC) with guaranteed financial protection for the public. We are committed to healthcare that is fair, accessible and affordable.”
UHC means that all individuals and communities receive the health services they need without suffering financial hardship.
The Right to Health for All was the theme of this year’s World Health Day, which was observed on Saturday. “It protects right to health through strong primary healthcare,” said Akjemal Magtymova, WHO representative in Oman.
At the global level, at least half of the world’s population still do not have full coverage of essential health services.
About 100 million people are being pushed into extreme poverty living on $1.90 or less a day because they have to pay for healthcare.
Over 800 million people (almost 12 per cent of the world’s population) spent at least 10 per cent of their household budgets to pay for healthcare.
Population projections by MoH show that Oman is expected to have a total population of slightly more than 7 million in 2050.
The elderly (60 years and above) are expected to represent 13.1 per cent of the Omani population in 2050 compared with 6.1 per cent in 2012.
In early 1970, there were only two hospitals with 12 beds and 10 clinics in Oman.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
