Oman Health 2015

Oman Health - Exhibition & Conference is an international annual event that highlights the continued development of the healthcare sector in Oman. It targets all aspects of the health and wellness industry, opening doors for health products, services and facilities, and opportunities for new developments and trends, and trade and investment. It was launched in 2009 and is now on its fourth edition. It was certified as a UFI-approved event in 2013. The Conference is aligned with the government’s Health Vision 2050 and aimed at addressing the challenges as well as discussing initiatives to improve the sector.

It is the pioneer health and medical show in Oman and is the only show certified by UFI-The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry. The government is in the midst of reforming the country’s healthcare system based on its health policy, Health Vision 2050, designed to meet the sector’s growing demand by creating internationally competitive health infrastructure with a focus on specialized healthcare services at par with international standards and best practices.

Oman has allocated US$ 3.38 billion to its 2014 healthcare budget, more than double the US$ 1.3 billion spending in 2013. (Muscat Daily, June 19, 2014, page 2) Healthcare spend is set to increase by 84%--from US$ 1.3 billion in the Seventh Five-Year Plan—to US$ 6.47 billion in the Eighth Five-Year Plan, with the increase attributed chiefly to the improvement of existing facilities and the setting up of several new hospitals.

The budget of the Ministry of Health will have to almost double by 2020 (US$ 12.9 billion), which could see the private health sector taking on a greater role. (Oxford Business Group) The number of hospital beds required to meet demand is expected to increase from an estimated 5,722 to 6,300 by 2015. To date, there are 236 government healthcare facilities and the completion of the development of 250 health centers scheduled within the current Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) are underway.