Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

We undervalue blessings others don’t have

Abdulaziz-Al-Jahdhami
Abdulaziz-Al-Jahdhami
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There are undoubtedly countless blessings, which we are all enjoying every moment of our life! Amongst the commonly shared blessings that most people have are health, education, having a job and decent life and many others of course.


However, sometimes people do not realise the value of some blessings, which they have been bestowed unless they lose them. Possibly, they would appreciate its value when any of these blessings is no more there with them!


One of the great blessing that Omanis are envied for is getting free education in all government schools, colleges and universities. School students also get free books and transport. Just imagine how lucky students are here while in some countries students do part-time jobs for paying school fees. Believe it or not, expat students also get free education in government schools!


Such a blessing is regarded an impossible dream to many other students around the world. They could be deprived from going to school because their family cannot afford paying the fees. On the contrary, there are families here who do not appreciate the the facilities offered to students at schools. Perhaps, those people would only learn the lesson the hard way once over the time! Paying the education fees for KG programme or undergraduate studies in a private school, college or would be an alert to value the blessing.


Another blessing is free healthcare services. Omanis are entitled to get free treatment in all government hospitals and health centres around the Sultanate. They just have to pay RO 1.200 per annum for registration and renewal. It is not even regarded an expense comparing to the healthcare services and medication people get.


On the other hand, with the emergence of health insurance, things have changed. People’s interest and attention have been mostly shifted to the private hospitals and policlinics where they believe the quality of healthcare is better than government institutions! However, this stereotype is not always right as most of not all private healthcare institutions are profit-making rather than quality-focused. But what matters to the end users of those insurance cards is getting a free treatment and service in a private hospital.


Consequently, beneficiaries tend to misuse these cards by unnecessary frequent visits to private hospitals even for a minor treatment, which could be provided by any government healthcare centre. Some insurance cardholders are taken for a ride by unscrupulous hospitals. The kind of check-ups, treatment and medications prescribed to cardholders are different from the normal patients who are self-funding their treatment.


Such insurance cards are another blessing indeed, so whoever has it should efficiently and honestly utilise it whenever required. It is a free of charge service, but employers are paying to insurers.


Therefore, these cards shall be responsibly used and carefully monitored by a competent authority to ensure that all insurance cards are properly utilised and charged.


 


aljahdhami22@gmail.com


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