Health system profile
The Ministry of Health is the principle health care provider in Oman and develops health policies and strategies, health programmes and plans for the health sector. The Ministry of Health also runs educational institutes for basic and post-basic health professionals in nursing and allied fields. It has emphasized decentralization as a managerial strategy. Health services are almost universally accessible based on the primary health care approach. The health transition, demand for better quality care and the ever-increasing costs for health services calls for a health road map. The Ministry of Health is working on a vision for 2050 to address these concerns.
Essential medicines
The Ministry of Health, Oman ensures only safe, potent, licensed medicines are sold in the country and are distributed to patients of public hospitals and health centres. It has a proactive policy promoting the use of a list of essential medicines. Oman’s programme on rational medicine use is recognized globally; a national survey, however, identified key areas for improvement at the household level. A recent study on medicine pricing found that the availability of generic medicines in the public sector was fairly high and that their prices were slightly lower than international reference prices; however, originator brands were many times higher. A recent WHO good governance for medicines programme assessment identified areas to be addressed to ensure a comprehensive system for the governance of pharmaceuticals.
Regional essential medicines and pharmaceutical policies programme
Human resources for health
Human resources for health is complex in Oman as health workforce development strategies are governed by a multiplicity of stakeholders within the Ministry of Health, as well as other stakeholders. Oman is a young country and is dependent on an expatriate workforce, particularly for physician specialties. Substantial efforts have been made to develop a national health workforce. Despite the appreciable progress in this area, changing health needs and expansion of health services puts tremendous pressure for additional health manpower. The health transition, demand for better quality care and the ever-increasing costs for health services calls for the creation of a health road map.
Regional human resources for health observatory
