HEALTH COVER FOR ALL IS ON THE WAY

Full implementation of mandatory health insurance in private sector to take time

Medical insurance will become mandatory in Oman’s private sector, but it will take time to implement fully, according to a senior member of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The Ministry of Health wants mandatory health insurance to be provided for all private sector employees, but some companies are still unable to do so as Oman has battled through a difficult economic period, thanks to a global downturn and an oil price slump.

“Most of our companies are actually giving this incentive to their employees, but some of these companies, small and medium enterprises, cannot do that, due to different challenges,” said Ahmed Al Hooti, director of the economic wing of the OCCI.

“These are expenses for which you have to pay more, and last year, there were serious talks about this, but I do not know whether we can actually ask our companies today to do that insurance right now.

“I think we have to slow down a little bit and not put pressure on the private sector, because they are facing a different type of challenge, so we cannot push all of these things on them, and keep asking them to do this insurance right now, but it is there for the future,” he added.

“Whenever we will find the right time, all of the companies in Oman will start doing that.”

In September 2017, Oman’s Minister of Health, Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Obaid Al Sa’eedi, said that the new healthcare system should be rolled out.

The minister said at the time that only a fraction of expats in the private sector were covered for medical insurance.