International accreditation for Oman hospitals

In theory, all private hospitals and clinics must have or be working towards international accreditation. The next step is to extend that to public hospitals.

In 2013 the Ministry of Health asked all healthcare providers to prove they could offer world-class service to patients or face risk of closure within five years. But not much has happened since.

The Ministry of Health is also working on its own accreditation system, in discussion with international accreditors.

The ministry made the rules without any detail about how hospitals and clinics could achieve the goal, which accreditors were acceptable, who will cover the costs and what happens to those who fail to achieve the standard.

It is back in discussion with private healthcare operators to turn the grand idea into reality.