Healthcare expense in 2016 at RO793mn
The Ministry of Health (MoH), represented by the Department of Information & Statistics of the Directorate General of Planning and Studies (DGP&S), issued the Annual Health Report 2016.
The report highlights the achievements of the health sector in the sultanate in addition to the most remarkable health and vital indicators. The report is distinct as it includes a synopsis of Health Vision 2050.
The report contains ten chapters that involve an introduction of the demographic and geographic characteristics of the sultanate, the administrative structure of the Ministry of Health and summary of the Health Vision 2050.
It also presents health indicators since 1970 followed by details regarding health resources that include the use and distribution of healthcare institutions, health workforce, the financial aspects, projects, and human re- sources development.
The report also addresses the health status and achievements of the various health fields in the Ninth Five-Year Plan, as well as describing the status of morbidity and mortality. The tenth chapter includes the health services by other healthcare providers. The report concludes with a glossary and definitions as well as a list of studies performed by MoH.
The expenditure of the Ministry of Health has seen a remarkable increase over the years to keep pace with the needs of the population growth requirements and expansion of health services both quantitatively and qualitatively, in addition to the change of disease patterns and the increasing cost of healthcare services.
However, the report shows that the total expenditures of MoH for 2016 was RO792.96mn compared to about RO892.2mn in the previous year with a 11.1 per cent decrease.
Development expenditures accounted for RO35mn and recurrent expenditures were RO757.96mn. The percentage of MoH expenditures to the total government expenditures has reached 6.3 per cent.
Regarding the manpower development in the healthcare field, the report shows that by the end of 2016, the number of MoH workers reached 39,197 with 69 per cent Omanisation.
As for the vital indicators, the crude birth rate decreased in 2016 to reach 33.7 (per 1,000 population) while the crude death rate was 3.0 (per 1,000 population). Moreover, the infant mortality rate decreased to 9.2 per 1,000 live births.
The report highlights the achievements of the health sector and the most remarkable health and vital indicators