‘Better health insurance to improve NCD situation’
“It’s the same way that you have basic and full coverage for cars. Currently, each insurance company decides its own coverage, but this mandate changes everything and will definitely benefit insured expats. So far, it wasn’t compulsory to have this sort of insurance, but now it is,” the official added.
Dr. Ahmed Al Busaidi, Member of the National Committee for Prevention and Control of NCDs, believed better health insurance would improve the NCD situation for expats as well.
“Currently, when an expat who has no insurance plan is diagnosed with cancer, the first impulse is to pay all the unaffordable bills for treatment or go back home for free healthcare if applicable; this stresses more on the need for health insurance with good coverage.” Expanding healthcare insurance plans to all expat labour forces will improve their NCD control and also allow them to remain in Oman longer, according to Dr. al Busaidi.
“Many expats suffer from NCDs and as a clinician I’ve seen expats who come from home with six months worth of diabetes medicine, which is above the limit and might jeopardise the medicine. Why do they do that? They’re worried they might lose a job if they declare themselves ill. It becomes difficult for us to control NCDs then, especially something like diabetes,” he added.
“These are all expat issues, yes, but they are NCD issues too. Hopefully, the two will be resolved in our steps, starting with the nine voluntary goals of 2025. The country has a vision for 2040, and the ministry has a vision for 2050.”
These projects [NCD awareness and expat coverage] are moving along simultaneously,” he added.
“NCD awareness is something that touches on the health of expats as well.” As for the committee, it is working to lower the death rate of NCDs.
“When it comes to our committee, we are looking at the four big killers: diabetes, cancer, heart diseases, and respiratory system illnesses. These are the leading causes of premature deaths. We’re aiming to decrease deaths by these illnesses before the age of 70 by 25 per cent by the year 2025,” said Dr. Al Busaidi.