MUSCAT: More than 1,600 private hospitals and medical centres operate in the Sultanate, including 31 private hospitals, 335 health centers and complexes, and 129 public clinics, in addition to 1,201 specialised clinics.
Dr Mazin Jawad al Khabouri, Director General of the General Directorate of Private Health Establishments (GDPHE) at the Ministry of Health, said to the Oman News Agency (ONA), that private health institutions are one of the main pillars of the health system in the Sultanate along with the rest of the government health institutions affiliated to the Ministry of Health and other government agencies.
“To get a license from the GDPHE, the private health facilities should meet the conditions set by the ministry, which qualify them to provide health services of a high level to ensure the health and safety of people,” Al Khabouri said.
The health cadres working in these institutions are subject to strict evaluation by the concerned authorities in the ministry before they get the green signal to practice the profession to ensure and measure their competence.
According to Al Khabouri, health insurance plays a crucial role in private health institutions through insurance companies that provide insurance packages of various levels, whether for workers in the private or government sector or the rest of society.
