Dhamani Team Reviews Developments, Implementation of First Phase
Muscat: The Health Insurance Team discussed during its 11th meeting, chaired by Ahmed Ali al Maamari, Vice President for Insurance Sector, the key developments in the preparation for implementation of the compulsory health insurance scheme for the employees of the private sector and visitors (Dhamani).
Members of the team representing the concerned entities took part in the meeting.
The meeting reviewed the execution of works and projects relevant to the implementation of the scheme.
Al Maamari opened the meeting with a review of the development of the project. He commended the efforts exerted to build and execute the Dhamani electronic platform, which will link insurance companies, private health institutions and TPAs, in addition to linking the regulators, such as the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour and Royal Oman Police, as well as Shifa system of the Ministry of Health to create unified medical record for exchange of patients’ information between the two systems.
The Chairman of the Health Insurance Work Team commended the efforts of the concerned entities for their cooperation in enhancing the readiness of the project and integration of the roles to finalize the accompanying projects. He added the Dhamani scheme is one of the leading projects in the Sultanate and would contribute to achieving the national priorities of Oman Vision 2040. It would be an economic and social addition to the country to enhance the partnership between the public and private sectors, in addition to its role in promoting the work environment in the private sector through adding employment benefits and providing healthcare for the employees of the private sector, and furnishing safe health environment for the visitors by providing treatment services according to new financing options that would alleviate the burden on the general budget of the state. This effort would reflect positively on the quality of the health services provided by the Government to the citizens.
Al Maamari expressed optimism that the regulation of health insurance products and implementation of Dhamani would contribute to attracting global healthcare institutions to invest in the health sector in Oman and expanding private healthcare in various governorates and wilayats of the Sultanate, as well as providing employment opportunities in the insurance and health sectors for graduates.
The meeting also reviewed the key works accompanying the scheme, such as the prices of treatment services in the private health sector, the standards of quality of the services of private health institutions and the standards and requirement to curb fraud, overpricing and abuse of the health benefits, such as prescribing unnecessary medicines in the private health institutions.
The meeting was held within the context of the joint work between the entities concerned with implementation of health insurance for the employees of the private sector and visitors as per the decision of the Council of Ministers to assign the Capital Market Authority (CMA) to set up the regulatory infrastructure of the scheme. --ONA
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