Planning & Development  

Human Resources Development Strategy » Healthcare Sector

The modern concept of health and health care developed from a services sector to a production sector that has a major impact on the economic and social development of any community. As mush as disease burden resulting from health disorders, constitutes a humanitarian problem for it involvement of human suffering, however the economic dimension of such burden started to gain an increasing attention. This came as a result of studies that proved its impact on revenues and returns on investment in health areas. The modern concept for health is no longer limited to the treatment of disease only. In stead it broadened to include promotion of health standards, disease control and early diagnosis of disease cases and their treatment during the early stag when they are curable. It also broadened to include physical, mental, social and occupational rehabilitation of disabled. Due to these concepts the health sector assumed increasing responsibilities and more challenges to be faced.

Within the view of awarding more attention to human resources development the first long term development strategy 1970-1995 gave a special attention to health care. During that period the Sultanate witnessed a noticeable progress in the health condition of the Omani society due to the improvement of health services as the health indicators such as life expectancy at birth and death rates and other indicators have improved.

The health sector vision aimed at provision of health care for all citizens through a system characterized by cost effectiveness efficiency encouragement of disease-prevention, public safety, spreading of health services throughout the country and adoption of a policy of decentralization. The vision also sought the adoption of a family planning programme in order to decrease the population growth rate to less than (3%). This shall be in accordance with a population policy working towards striking a balance between economic growth and population increase and raising the living standard. Beside this, the health sector vision aimed at reducing mortality rates, infectious and parasitic diseases to be equivalent to their levels in developed countries. It also aimed at implementing control measures, eradicating infectious and parasitic diseases and their complications, increasing the numbers of outputs of the different professions and specializations and enhancing self dependence to meet the needs in some specializations.