Muscat: Oman’s Ministry of Health has directed all government hospitals to issue a receipt to patients showing the cost of the treatment to a government that heavily subsidises health care.
The paper is only issued to the Omani patients who are admitted to government hospitals, to spread awareness about the cost of the free treatment as well as subsidies that have over the years come to be taken for granted by citizens.
Admission, laboratory service, human resources and medicine costs are included in the receipt.
An official at the Ministry of Health denied rumours that health subsidies will be lifted when asked by Gulf News, adding that the move was only aimed at raising awareness.
Mohammad Al Wahaibi, a lawyer, said that its time for Omanis to know the real cost of the medical treatment cost that Omani government pays. “It’s also a message that Omanis should not waste the drugs they get for free from government hospitals,” he said.
Zakariya Al Mahrami, a noted Omani writer, said that Oman has has spent 2.6 per cent of its budget on the health sector in the country, noting that issuing medical cost receipts “will not fill the budget deficit”.
Oman, whose revenues are derived mostly from the sale of oil, posted a budget deficit of 1.6 billion rials in the first three months of 2016 amid a slump in oil prices.
Saleh Al Maskari, an Omani, expressed concern that the move is in preparation for another step towards more austerity measures in the health sector amid the slide in oil prices.
Naser Al Balushi, an engineer, supported the Ministry of Health’s move, saying some of the medicine patients receive from government hospitals is wasted, costing the government millions of rials. “I think such move is in the right place despite being late. I should be introduced some years ago,” said Al Balushi.
Omani citizens have to pay an annual 1 rial fee to obtain the medical card from the Omani government hospitals to get free medical treatment.
The Ministry of Finance allocated more than 1.3 billion rials in the government budget for the Ministry of Health in 2016.
More than 390 doctors resigned in 2015 alone as they got better salaries whether in private hospitals in the country or abroad, according to the Ministry of Health.
