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Oman Expat Health Insurance / Healthcare System News |
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Sultan Said bin Taimur inherited the powerful and wealthy Omani Empire in 1932. While suppressing frequent internal political and religious struggles in the Western desert regions, the sultan kept the country in a state similar to a medieval feudal society, actively shunning the development seen elsewhere in the twentieth century. Even after the discovery of oil reserves that brought vast amount of revenues into the country, the sultan refused to modernize and continued to rule the country erratically. This led Oman to become financially and politically isolated, while Oman's neighbors such as: Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait were establishing desirable welfare states with elaborate modern patterns needed for international trade. Oman continued to deteriorate until 1970, when Qaboos bin Sa'id, after spending years under house arrest due to his father’s paranoia, assumed power with the overthrow of his oppressive father Sultan Sa'id bin Taimur. The new sultan moved Oman from a poor underdeveloped country toward becoming not only a modern nation, but a thriving nation that is open and healthy.
Before 1970 when the Sultan Sa'id bin Taymur was in control the healthcare system throughout Oman was inadequate and in many regions almost nonexistent. There was no healthcare agency responsible for the general health of the country, and no organized healthcare infrastructure to provide access to services. Life expectancy for Omanis was extremely low at 48 years old. There was a high rate of morbidity due to communicable diseases throughout the country especially in the Dhofar region. Infant mortality rates were at 118 deaths per 1,000 live births, an incredibly high level. Childhood diseases were rampant such as Hookworm and Brucellosis. Acute infantile paralysis (Polio), Tetanus, Diphtheria, Measles (German measles), Mumps, Pertussis, Pulmonary Tuberculosis, and Malaria were prevalent throughout the country. There were not enough doctors and nurses in the country especially in outside of major cities. Most of the doctors and nurses were expatriates because there were no medical schools within Oman. Under Sa'id bin Taymur’s rule, the country had only one hospital with a total of 12 beds, which was run by the United States, and nine medical centers that were located only in the coastal region.
After 1970, once Sultan Qaboos bin Sa'id took over, Oman started to implement healthcare schemes which made incredible improvements to the healthcare system and to the general health of the population in a relatively short time. The sultan proclaimed that healthcare will be provided free of charge to every Omani citizen. At the time there was only 3km of asphalted roads which made camels and donkeys the only means of transportation across much of the country, so the sultan started to build roads in order to make access to healthcare easier throughout the country. Most of the country did not have electricity or running water. When Sultan Qaboos took over he oversaw the rollout of electricity, water and proper sanitation infrastructure in every region of the country.
The beginning of Oman's modern healthcare system was the establishment of the Ministry of Health (MOH). The Ministry of Health became the agency that was in charge for financing, coordinating, and managing all the hospitals and medical centers throughout Oman. In the 1970's there were hardly any healthcare professionals. Oman's healthcare system had only 13 physicians and a few nurses and these few were only in the major cities. The physician to population ratio was only two physicians per 100,000 people. Even in 1980, there were only 514 physicians and 1096 nurses (5.1 physicians per 10,000 people).
The goal of the Ministry of Health was to improve the healthcare system and provide the adequate treatment to the whole population by ensuring the easy access to quality medical treatment throughout Oman. But Oman at that moment did not have enough medical doctors, nurses, and staff necessary to operate or provide medical treatment to the entire country (there were less than 100 people working in the health sector with only 13 doctors). So Oman started to develop its educational infrastructure to produce the sufficient medical workforce needed in order to meet the healthcare demands. The country's educational infrastructure grew substantially within only a few years. In 1982, the Ministry of Health started an educational science institute to teach medicine and run a medical laboratory. The Ministry also set up new institutes for education in other related professions such as public health education, pharmacology and medical record technology. Regional nursing institutes were set up all over the country to ensure proportional opportunities for admission to students all across the country. An Institute of specialized nursing was built in Muscat to serve as the main center for nursing education. It also initiated specialized training in midwifery in Muscat and a few regional capitals. By 1986 there were 20 public tertiary education institutions in Oman, including technical colleges, teacher training colleges, and health institutes. There were also a total of three private universities and 20 private secondary institutions built. The private Oman Medical College (OMC) was established in 2001 that had the permission to work with some of the public regional hospitals for clinical instruction and practice.
With the focus on education and the building of medical schools the healthcare infrastructure has become an extensive government run healthcare system. The physician population ratio grew to 18 physicians per 10,000 people in 2007. There were over 3,459 physicians throughout the country. The nurse population grew even quicker with 38 nurses per 10,000 people and a total of 8,143 nurses working in the healthcare system. With the increased funding from the government into its healthcare system, the public sector has become the dominant health provider in Oman. Over 80% of the total healthcare expenditure is from government into the public sector. Close to 90% of the doctors and nurses are employed by the government. The government runs 93.1% of hospitals and 97.6% of hospital beds. The public sector consists of: hospitals, maternity facilities, medical clinics, pharmacies, and medical teaching universities. There are 49 public and 9 private hospitals in Oman. The private sector has been generally small and limited to only the major cities (Northeast region of the country). Physicians employed in the public sector do work as part time consultants in the private health sector during their off duty hours, with the approval of the Government.
Once the education centers, funding and the building of medical facilities were in place there were great strides forward in improving the health of the country's population. Over 90% of the population has access to healthcare. Infant mortality rates have fallen from 118 deaths per 1,000 live births during the 1970's to 16 deaths per 1,000 as of mid 2009. Mortality rates of children under 5 years of age have dropped from 181 deaths down to 11 deaths in 2009. Omanis are living longer, with a life expectancy nearly comparable to European countries. Overall life expectancy has risen from 49.3 years in the1970's to 74.16 years in 2009. The installation of proper sanitation and access to clean water throughout the country has improved the living conditions. This has prevented and controlled the rate of communicable diseases in Oman.
Oman has shown a remarkable success in reducing the rates of various vaccine preventable diseases to the extent that some have been eradicated (Polio and Diphtheria have not been reported in the country since 1990). Starting in 1976, there have been numerous immunization programs that were based on prevention rather then treatment. In 2002, the Omani healthcare system initiated an extensive child immunization program against: Polio, Diphtheria, Whooping Cough, Tetanus, Measles, Hepatitis, Mumps, and other diseases. Improvements to the health of Oman’s population have caused an epidemiological change in the diseases now being experienced in the country. Communicable diseases have declined to low levels and now non-communicable diseases constitute 54.5% of outpatient morbidity and 40.8% of inpatient morbidity. Cardiovascular diseases accounted for 63 per 10,000 people and are the main cause of hospital deaths. Cardiovascular diseases have accounted for 34.5% of all hospital deaths, followed by cancer with 13.2% of all hospital deaths (cancer cases among inpatients accounted for 9 out of every 10,000 patients). The prevalence of hypertension has increased among the population over the age of 20 and type 2 diabetes has risen to over 12% of the population since 2000, particularly among the major cities.
Although the healthcare system has greatly improved in Oman the infant mortality rate still remains high. This can be attributed to both the lack of access to the healthcare facilities in rural regions and to the local social custom of marrying close relatives that have caused many babies to be born with congenital abnormalities (24.1% of marriages were between first cousins and 11.8% of marriages were between second cousins. Another issue with the healthcare system is that the amount of money going into the system is insufficient and will be tested in the near future. In 2005, Oman spent 2.8% of its GDP on healthcare and USD$340 per capita which is far below that of other countries worldwide that have comparable national income levels. Over the next 25 years, the elderly population of Oman will increase and the rates of non-communicable diseases such as: Cardiovascular diseases, Cancer, Diabetes, High blood pressure and Obesity will be on the rise.
The healthcare in Oman has greatly improved since the 1970's and medical treatment is offered free to all its citizens. Expatriates and travelers working or visiting the country will not be offered free medical treatment and most likely will have to pay upfront before service is rendered. Most of the hospitals in Oman are publicly run and will not be to the standards of developed nations. Treatment in private hospitals and clinics is highly recommended for adequate medical treatment but will be quite expensive. Coverage in rural areas still remains limited and will typically only be able to provide immediate emergency services and will not be able to provide any long term care. It is therefore highly recommended to have a comprehensive insurance plan.
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It is important to know that you and your family will be covered in the case of a medical emergency while you are in Oman; expat health insurance policies can help you ensure the continual protection of the health and finances of your loved ones. Whether you are traveling or an expat employee in Oman, expat health insurance can offer you some of the most extensive medical insurance coverage available. For more information about Oman, expat health insurance policies we work with or to receive a free expat health insurance quote, please contact our dedicated advisors today.
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