GCC country to need over 13,000 doctors by 2040

Muscat - The Sultanate will also require over 2,000 additional pharmacists.

Oman will need 13,000 more doctors to join the healthcare system by 2040, National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) revealed. Besides this, the Sultanate will also require over 2,000 additional pharmacists to address the shortage of healthcare professionals as part of Oman's Vision 2040, NCSI stated on its official Twitter handle.
NCSI tweeted on World Health Day: '13,000 is the number of additional doctors required to meet the needs of the health staff in the Sultanate by 2040.'
NCSI furthermore wrote on Twitter: '2,146 is the number of additional pharmacists required to meet the needs of the health staff in the Sultanate by 2040.'
Suggesting both expatriates and Omanis to join the medical workforce, Dr Bashir A P, head of internal medicine at Badr Al Sama Hospital was quoted as saying in Times of Oman, "I think a mix of both expats and Omani medical professionals will help meet the target of 13,000."
He added, "There's no reason why Omanis can't do the job. The medical graduates just need proper training. We need to develop the work culture, and Oman will do just fine."
Considering that new Omani medical professionals will be able to train themselves into specialists, Dr Bashir said, "By 2040, they will be in a better position to take on greater responsibility in the medical profession. With more and more medical professionals graduating, an attempt is being made in that direction."
Not only this, Dr Bashir said Oman also needs to increase the number of hospitals.
"There is a shortage in the number of doctors. Moreover, there needs to be a better distribution of hospitals. We need more medical facilities in the interior of Oman."
 

• Oman