(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Figures released by the National Center for Statistics and Information (NCSI) show that life expectancy for Omanis continues to rise, with the average life expectancy for an Omani born in 2012 rising to 76.2 years, compared to the 2003 average of 74.2 years at birth.
The growing emphasis on healthy living, combined with increased expenditures by the government in the healthcare sector is credited with the continued increase in life expectancy.
During the statistical period from 2003 to 2012, fertility rates among the Omani population increased significantly, with 24.4 births per 1,000 people of the total population recorded in 2003 compared to the 2012 rate of 32.1 births per 1,000 people. The statistics measured the period 2003 to end of 2012.
According to the NCSI figures, the number of hospitals in the sultanate increased from 57 in 2003 to 65 in 2012. The number of private hospitals also increased from three in 2003 to 11 in 2012, likewise, the number of private clinics rose from 675 in 2003 to 975 in 2012. In addition, the number of private pharmacies also grew from 324 registered in 2003 to 476 in 2012.
Meanwhile, the number of doctors registered to practice in Oman grew from 4,000 in 2003 to 7,000 in 2012. Additionally, the number of nursing staff increased from 9,000 in 2003 to 16,000 in 2012, while the number of pharmacists registered to work in the sultanate grew from 662 in 2003 to 1,686 in 2012. The number of other health staff working in a support function also grew from 10,000 in 2003 to 18,000 in 2012.
Reflecting the government's increased investment in the health sector, spending by the Ministry of Health (MoH) witnessed an increase over the statistical period, from RO148mn in 2003 to RO441mn in 2012, while investment spending also rose, from RO23mn in 2003 to RO40mn in 2012. The 2012 expenditure from MoH represented 3.6 per cent of the total government expenditure during that year.
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