MUSCAT : The construction work of a number of projects have been carrying out in full swing in Musandam Governorate. The new Khasab Hospital have been completed by 34%, while 54% of the Madha Hospital has been completed.

The General Directorate of Health Services in Musandam Governorate has been working to advance the health facilities in the governorate. The authorities have been following a carefully-planned timetable for implementing health projects that meet the needs of citizens and residents.

Ali bin Abdullah Al Shehhi, Director of the Planning and Studies Department at the General Directorate of Health Services in the Governorate of Musandam, said, “The health system in the Musandam Governorate is represented by three hospitals – Khasab, Bukha and Dibba, in addition to three health centres in Lima Health Centre and Madha Health Centre and the Kumzar Health Centre along with the Khasab Health Complex, all of which provide required health services to the patients.”

He added, “The number of hospital beds in Musandam Governorate is 158 beds available to all residents, at a rate of 31 beds for every 10,000 residents, and private clinics number up to 7 clinics distributed over the states of Musandam Governorate.”

He also stated that the Directorate has been providing a marine ambulance service since 2014, to transport emergency sick cases from the marine villages that cannot be reached by car due to the geographical nature of Musandam Governorate to health institutions.

He pointed out that the number of health workers in the governorate’s health services is 834, of whom 584 are Omanis, with an Omanisation rate of 70 percent, while the total number of doctors is 137, distributed among 88 general practitioners, 46 specialist doctors and 7 dentists.

He pointed out that the total number of nurses is 204, with an Omanisation rate of 50%, at 1.5 nurses for each doctor, while the total number of pharmacists is 19. The total number of pharmacist assistants is 26, the total number of radiology technicians is 19, while the total number of laboratory technicians is 36.

Regarding the health services provided in the governorate in 2021, Ali bin Abdullah Al-Shehhi, Director of the Planning and Studies Department at the General Directorate of Health Services in Musandam Governorate, said, “Health indicators show that the total number of dialysis sessions has reached 2,946 sessions, with an average of 11.2 sessions per case per month. The number of dialysis beds was 10, and the number of dialysis machines reached 18.”

He added that the total number of surgical operations amounted to 626, while the total number of x-rays performed on patients was 16,736, while the total number of laboratory analysis reached 189,815, 5% for bacteriological tests, while the proportion of virus tests was only 1%.

With regard to patients’ visits to outpatient clinics in the Musandam Governorate, a total of 210,476 visits were made, with 14.9 percent for non-Omanis of the total visits.

He stated that the daily average number of patients’ visits to outpatient clinics in the governorate amounted to 577, distributed between 276 visits to Khasab Hospital, 145 visits to Dibba Hospital, 54 visits to Bakha Hospital, 36 visits to a Madha Health Centre, 40 visits to a Lima Health Centre, and 25 visits to a Kamzar Health Centre.

And he indicated that the total number of inpatients in the governorate’s hospitals was 3,495, with a daily average of 29 patients, while the total discharged patients, including (deaths), amounted to 3,491 patients, with an average daily discharge of 10 patients, and that the occupancy rate of beds in hospitals and health centres in the governorate amounted to about 18.59 percent, with a percentage of immunisations in the governorate against tuberculosis (BCG), trio, polio, measles, and hepatitis B(3) is 100 percent.

At the conclusion of his statement, Ali bin Abdullah Al-Shehhi, Director of the Planning and Studies Department at the General Directorate of Health Services in Musandam Governorate, also spoke about the humanitarian services provided in the health institutions in Musandam Governorate.

These are represented by blood donors, noting that during the past two years, there were 2,180 donors, and this enhances obtaining adequate quantities especially related to performing operations and other medical aspects.