Medical Specialties in Oman: Scaling Up through National Action.

Abstract

To analyze the situation of medical specialists in the Sultanate of Oman, in terms of its past and current size and future needs. Data of Oman Medical Specialty Board (OMSB) and Ministry of Health (MoH) on medical specialists in Oman and the current Omanization levels in various specialties were reviewed and analyzed. Projections of the need for medical specialists by the End-2020 and in 2032 were calculated based on three different scenarios. Data on the number of medical specialists in Oman revealed a steady increase over the years, starting from only 52 specialists in 1975 to 2,162 in 2008; 25.1% of them were Omanis. The ratios of Omanization showed some inconsistency over the years in certain categories of specialization and were considerably low in some important specialties, e.g. Anesthesiology (5.7%) and Obstetrics & Gynecology (18.5%). By the End-2020, the total workforce of medical specialists in Oman is expected to reach 2,228; 408 of them would be Omanis. Otherwise, to achieve 100% Omanization, the number of Omani specialists required would be 1,772. According to three different scenarios, the number of medical specialists in Oman would range from 2,785-4,569 by 2032; of them 1,859-3,646 would be Omanis. In order to rapidly increase the number of medical specialists in Oman to satisfy the country's needs, OMSB has to adopt a visionary long-term strategy, through which it wouldß be able to gather all stakeholders resources within a national framework and direct a significant investment of funds towards scaling up medical specialists production.