Cases of negligence checked - Top priority for Omanisation
MUSCAT -- The Ministry of Health conducted the first of a series of workshops aimed at preparing the regional Five-Year Plans as part of the 8th Five-Year Development Plan (2011-2015), which involves projects worth RO 270 million.
Meanwhile, Dr Ahmad bin Muhammad al Saeedy, Minister of Health, said in comments to the Observer that the ministry keenly monitors cases of malpractices or negligence as well as Omanisation in the private healthcare institutions. "The Primary Medical and Technical Committee (PMTC) of the ministry receives cases of medical malpractices and investigates each case properly and identifies whether such cases are due to mismanagement or negligence and also identifies level of mismanagement. The minister was speaking in response to a question on does the ministry monitors and corrects malpractices in the private healthcare sector which harm the patients.
He said the PMTC tries to find the reason of such cases and whether it is because of lack of technical expertise or otherwise. Cases are then referred to the Higher Medical Committee (HMC) to confirm mismanagement and decide on actions. He said, "MoH makes all efforts to strengthen the private sector and has established "The Department of Private Health Establishments" that operates directly under the supervision of the Under-Secretary for Health Affairs".
Speaking at the workshop, Dr Gamra bint Said al Saririya, Director of the Planning Department at the Directorate-General of Health Services, Muscat Governorate, said the workshop discussed the conditions affecting the demographic and environmental state and the health situation in the governorate.
It also assessed the programmes of the 5-year health plan including the preliminary and secondary healthcare, in addition to women's health issues, infectious and non- infectious diseases, radiology, ophthalmology, mental health, besides occupational health. Al Saririya said the 8th 5-year health plan introduced for the first time the fields of elderly care, private health institutions and school and university health.
Dr Munis Mustafa al Shishtawi, Adviser of Planning at the Health Ministry, said the government has given priority to the issue of healthcare which resulted in remarkable improvement of the overall health conditions across the Sultanate and increased the citizens' life expectancy. He said the efforts exerted in the field of healthcare culminated in the Sultanate ranking first in the WHO's Health Performance Report on the worldwide level.
Al Shishtawi added the achievements were in part due to applying scientific methods and aided by the government's budget allocated to healthcare which amounted to 82 per cent of the total health expenditure, the Health Ministry shoulders the bulk of the responsibility in the provision of health services by providing 87 per cent of the total number of hospitals, and 90 per cent of outpatient clinic services.
Speaking about the ministry's new projects, Al Shishtawi said the government earmarked RO 37 million to the Health Ministry's projects in its 8th 5-year plan; these projects meet the needs of a broad sector of the citizens in both the preliminary and secondary healthcare.
Among the projects is the rehabilitation of Samayil Hospital at the cost of RO 10 million, establishment of a health centre at Al Mudhaibi at a cost of RO 2 million, establishment of the Muscat Referential Hospital at a cost of RO 140 million, establishment of the Salalah Hospital at a cost of RO 48 million, in addition to establishing new hospitals at Suwaiq, Mahout, Sinaw, Dhanak and Almaziouna totalling RO 55.5 million.
-- Translated by Khalid al Kush
© Oman Daily Observer 2011
