A study conducted by the Oman Development Bank (ODB) on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Sultanate indicated the importance of projects in the health sector in providing various health services to citizens and expatriates alike.
The study, which included data on various economic sectors of SMEs, showed that the statistics from the Ministry of Health (MoH) indicated that there were 1,193 specialty clinics as of 2009 with 3 million people visiting hospitals, and the rate of growth expected in the coming year was estimated at 4 per cent for the number of private health institutions and 11 per cent for the number of patient visits.
This is especially asserted in light of the ODB trend to finance quality health projects, such as the establishment of specialised clinics, specialised rehabilitation centres, laboratories and physiotherapy polyclinics as well as financing specialised clinics in the area of dentistry and gynaecology and other medical specialties.
ODB, within the framework of its strategic plan to diversify its lending portfolio, expects to increase its share in financing this sector in line with the set objectives and the priorities of the government’s five-year plan (2011-2015).
The MoH statistics showed presence of 5 private hospitals, 398 public clinics, 204 specialised clinics and health polyclinics, 152 dental clinics, 57 Chinese and Indian clinics, and the number of private pharmacies reached 371 in 2009.
The study showed that during 2009, total labour force employed in the health sector reached 5,026 workers comprising of 354 specialist doctors, 868 general practitioners, 368 dentists, 800 pharmacists, 1,264 nurses, and 271 laboratory technicians.
The study also confirmed that non-governmental private health institutions were of great importance in the provision of health services and that the average rate of growth in the number of private health institutions during the last five years beginning 2005 to 2009 amounted to 3.2 per cent annually, while the average rate of growth in the number of visits to private health institutions rose approximately 15pc.
Oman Observer