MUSCAT – The foundation stone for the 113-bed Muscat Rehabilitation Centre at Al Amerat was laid at a ceremony held under the auspices of Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Saeedi, Minister of Health, on Monday. The RO 2.5-million-project is being funded by Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) as part of its flagship Social Investment Programme, which focuses on five key themes in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including “Good Health and Well-being.”

The ceremony was attended by a number of government and PDO officials including Wali of Al Amerat, Mohammed bin Humaid al Ghabshi, PDO Managing Director Raoul Restucci and PDO External Affairs and Value Creation Director Eng Abdul-Amir bin Abdul-Hussain al Ajmi.

The specialised centre will provide robust addiction treatment programmes and rehabilitation support to facilitate the integration of patients back into society. The 5,400m2-facility will include forensic medicine, detoxification and emergency departments, an outpatient clinic, handicraft workshops, gymnasiums, swimming pools and a library for in-patients. With a 113-bed capacity, the complex will have dedicated male and female wards and amenities.

A joint working team from PDO and the Ministry of Health (MOH) has been formed to manage and supervise the building’s construction, which is expected to be completed in 2022. The team will use the Lean business efficiency methodology, pioneered in Oman by PDO, to minimise costs and resources and ensure best practices are applied.

Dr Ahmed al Saidi said: “We are delighted to lay the foundation for this centre today, which will be looking after patients with addiction. In cases of addiction, there is a 70 per cent risk of recurrence after treatment. The only way to reduce the recurrence rate is by having centres like this where individuals can be rehabilitated under the supervision of professionals in the field.

“While we already have a specialised unit, unfortunately, the capacity is limited. Now with PDO’s support, the capacity will be increased and the addition of new facilities will allow patients to integrate back into the community after the period they spend at the centre.”

Eng Abdul-Amir al Ajmi said: “The centre will not only provide medical treatment for patients struggling with addiction, it will also rehabilitate and equip them with the necessary personal and employability skills that will allow them to gain independence and seamlessly integrate back into society.

“The health sector has always been one of the key priorities of our Social Investment Programme, and this focus is now aligned with the Oman Vision 2040 which aims to create a leading health system adopting global standards.”

Earlier this year, PDO signed a funding agreement with the MoH to pay for medical equipment for the Orthopaedics Department at Khoula Hospital, and another with Sultan Qaboos University Hospital to fund medical equipment for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit which handles 5,000 baby deliveries a year, including high-risk referrals from different regions.

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