The Sultanate needs a strong, effective health research environment. The global Covid-19 pandemic’s one positive outcome has been the recognition by smaller nations and economies, that medical assistance will always have strings attached.
Life expectancy in Oman last year was 78 years old, but as recently as only 1971, it was only 51 years of age! That was 1971...not 1871! Stefan J M Skrzywanek, Chief Operating Officer at KIMS Oman explained that “Medical research has been a significant contributing factor to this increase in life expectancy. It's important to remember that, without medical research, we would be unable to treat common conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and vaccinating against measles, polio, and eradicating communicable diseases such as smallpox the scourge of the late 20th century. Medical research has also led to improvements in radiology and imaging to improve diagnostics and offer improved clinical outcomes for patients.”
Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Saeedi, Minister of Health, in 2014 said, “Health research is among the most important pillars of any health system. The Ministry of Health is concerned to develop health research capacity and has taken effective steps to equip human resources with research capabilities and established systematic mechanisms for funding health research.” In the 2021, 2nd Edition of ‘Health Research Priorities,’ he reiterated the government’s commitment to research. This report identifies High body-mass index (BMI), High fasting plasma glucose, Dietary risks, High blood pressure, High total cholesterol, Occupational hazards and Tobacco, as current issues of greatest concern.
The critical elements of health research are knowledge, expertise, and funding, the concerns of Dr Fatma Mohammed al Ajmi, Undersecretary for Administrative, Financial, and Planning Affairs, who favors pragmatic approaches that Oman must take to national health research, saying “Without research, there can be no development. Without development, the organization remains static. And if an organization remains static, it becomes irrelevant.” Therefore, research plays a key role in the future development of healthcare provision, and as NHS (UK) Clinical Education Facilitator, Christian Nevin commented, “As healthcare providers, medical research ensures the care we provide to our patients is evidence based, safe, effective as possible.”
Head of the Emergency Department at KIMS Oman, Dr Amin Paracha explained, “The world of medicine relies on peer reviewed research from countless medical journals to direct diagnosis and treatment towards their best possible outcomes. Research methodologies, sample sizes, inclusion/exclusion criteria, gender, race, bias, and other variables are sampled for unbiased research accuracy. Even diverse cultures, traditions, environments, beliefs, genetic variables, diagnoses, and treatments may be assessed as specific to race, gender, age, genetic disposition. Hence it is crucial that the medical society of each country has a vigorous research culture and process to enable peer reviews, enable and encourage research and lead the health care sector towards a sustainable level of self-sufficiency.”
Recent high profile research, conducted in the Sultanate includes these contributions from among thousands published globally, by Omanis:
• Adhra al Mawali, et al. "Oman vision 2050 for health research: a strategic plan for the future based on the past and present experience."
• Salam al Kindi, Nada al Umairi, and Anil Pathare. "Prevalence of Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV in Sickle Cell Disease Patients from Oman."
• Ibrahim al Busaidi. "Diabetic foot disease in Oman: A call for more research."
• Fakhriya al Houqani, Ameena al Mukhaini, and Rahma al Kindi. "Prevalence of depression among Oman medical specialty board (OMSB) residents."
• Nashat al Sukaiti et al. "A Decade Experience on Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Phenotype in Oman, Bridging to Newborn Screening."
• Mohammed al Rashdi, Bakathir Abdulaziz, and Khalid al Balushi. "Drug prescribing practices in dental care patients at a Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery clinic in Oman."
• Jawad al Lawati, et al. "Cancer incidence in Oman (1996–2015)."
• Nasser al Balushi, et al. "Prevalence and predictors of depressive symptoms among caregivers of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder attending a tertiary care facility: a cross-sectional analytical study from Muscat."
The diversity of current Omani medical research is good. Self-sufficiency in health research may be a pipe dream, but active, committed research, as prioritized by the government, is ultra-positive. Experienced NHS registered nurse, Elisabetta Montessi, focused on the nursing perspective saying, “Research gives the health professionals the best tools and instruments to improve patient outcomes. But the hope it offers to patients is immeasurable.” The human body has challenged mankind from the time of Ibn Sina, through Pasteur, Curie, Freud, Fleming, Rontgen, and Barnard. Oman’s challenge now is to sustain that journey.
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