staff reporter
MUSCAT, JULY 27
The Ministry of Health has ordered the closure of three private health establishments and temporary suspension of 18 private health establishments due to their failure to meet quality standards.
The ministry also withdrew clinical privileges of some medical staff, suspended two specialised health institutions and issued warnings to 66 private health establishments. The ministry also reprimanded 34 private health establishments for publishing advertisements on social media without getting permission from the ministry.
Dr Muhanna bin Nasser al Muselhi, Director General of Private Health Establishments at the Ministry of Health, said that the ministry is going ahead with regulatory procedures, including precautionary closure of any establishment which does not comply with the standard quality of health.
As many as 1,600 private health establishments (hospitals, clinics, polyclinics, paramedical centres) operate in the Sultanate of Oman and use the services of 10,684 employees, said Dr Al Muselhi. He added that the Directorate General of Private Health Establishments works hard to empower the private health sector through proper governance, quality control and assurance of patient safety.
Speaking to the Observer, a source at the Ministry has confirmed that there have been many complaints against many private healthcare providers and some of them have been punished while some are still under surveillance. Dr Mizun Tufail al Rahman, Senior Consultant — family physician at the ministry, said closure of hospitals and other medical service providers can be on manifold grounds.
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