Rollout of mandatory health insurance scheme to start in 2023

Implementation of the mandatory health insurance scheme for the private sector, also known as ‘Dhamani’, will commence in 2023, according to a key official of the healthcare sector.

Dr Waleed al Zadjali, President of the Omani Medical Association (OMA), made the announcement at a press briefing on the upcoming Oman Health Exhibition and Conference (OHEC).

He said the scheme will be rolled out in phases to cover different categories of private companies operating in the Sultanate of Oman.

Under the the Dhamani scheme, private sector employees and their dependents will be covered by mandatory health insurance. Tourists and visitors to Oman will be brought under the purview of the programme as well.

Health insurance is one of the fastest growing segments of the insurance industry in the Sultanate of Oman. According to the audited financial statements of the insurance sector, health insurance premiums rose 5.6 per cent to RO 164 million in 2021, and the value of compensation related to health insurance activity dipped 0.5 per cent to RO 120 million. The data also showed an increase in the health insurance policies by 88 per cent to 23,000 policies.

Also in attendance at Monday’s press conference were Dr Rashid al Abri, OMA Vice President and Oman Health Conference Scientific Committee President; and Maha al Maskari, Risk Management Officer in the Directorate General of Private Health Establishments (Ministry of Health).

It was revealed that the Oman Health Exhibition and Conference (OHEC) is scheduled to take place during September 26 – 28, 2022 at the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre in Hall Number 5. The event will be inaugurated by His Highness Sayyid Fahr bin Fatik bin Fahr al Said.

The event, organised by CONNECT (Oman Exhibitions Organizing Company LLC) and conducted in partnership with Oman’s Ministry of Health (MoH), will be supported by the Directorate General of Pharmaceutical Affairs and Drug Control (PADC), the Directorate General of Quality Assurance Center (DGQAC) and Directorate General of Private Health Establishments. Co-located at the event will be the Oman Health Conference organised by the Oman Medical Association (OMA), which is accredited by the Oman Medical Specialty Board (OMSB) and CPD certification. Cigna, the renowned healthcare and insurance company, will be the Silver Sponsor for the event.

The timings for the exhibition are from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm, while the conference will follow a predefined agenda from 9:00 am to 4:15 pm on all three days. The exhibition has registered over 150 local and international exhibitors and expects to welcome more than 5,000 visitors.

According to Dr Waleed al Zadjali, the conference will feature presentations on a range of topics of critical importance to healthcare, including improvements to medical services, future of medicine, quality in hospitals, treating critical and emergency cases, and anaesthesia in surgeries.

Other presentations will emphasise the importance of digital tools and electronic devices to enhance health services, reduce errors, maintaining efficient patient documentation, and therapeutic protocols.