The Ministry of Health (MOH), represented by the Investment & Financing Alternatives Department organized today (Monday) at the main meeting ballroom of the Ministry a symposium on the Partnership Concept between the Public and Private Sectors and models in the health sector under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed al-Saidi, Minister of Health.

The Symposium was attended by the MOH Undersecretaries, Directors General of health services of the Governorates, Directors of the Hospitals, members of the health insurance committee, members of investment & financing alternatives committee, financial directors and advisors at the Ministry of Health along with the participation of an expert from the Ministry of Financial.

The Symposium aimed to familiarize the partnership concept between the public and private sectors, review some of the partnership models between the two sectors in the health sector, as well as discuss the challenges facing this partnership.

Dr. Halima Al-Hina'i, Director of Investment & Financing Alternatives Department pointed out that the health sector in Oman, like other countries in the world, faces many challenges that affect the sustainability of providing high quality and efficient health services. "These challenges are high costs of health services including the cost of medications, modern medical devices and the cost of recruiting and qualifying the human resources working in the health sector and the change of diseases pattern and the emergence of chronic non-communicable diseases", Dr. Halima added.

The Director of Investment & Financing Alternatives Department also added that all these challenges represented an economic barrier; therefore, a number of the countries, at the end of the last century, have sought to find root solutions to ensure financing the health services. One of the major solutions is the partnership idea between the public and private sectors, which aim to overcome the financial difficulties in funding and operating various hospitals and health institutions.

Ibrahim Akkawi, the expert from the Ministry of Finance who participated in the symposium, spoke about the importance of the partnership between the public and private sectors in raising the level of technical and administrative experiences and help to reduce the government expenditure.

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