Gulf News, Wednesday, Oct 7, 2020 | Safar 20, 1442
Oman’s Ministry of Health to cut costs by reducing workers
Oman:
The Omani Ministry of Health has issued a circular containing a set of
measures aimed at controlling spending that include among other steps,
reducing the number of workers in certain professions and cancelling the
work contracts, reports Atheer, a leading local daily in Oman.
The circular was issued by Dr Fatima Al Ajmi, the Undersecretary for
Administrative, Financial and Planning Affairs at the Ministry of
Health. She stated that these measures are based on the broader
decisions originating from the Ministry of Finance.
The measures include reducing the number of cleaners by at least 20 per
cent of the current total contracts, reducing the number of technicians
by a similar percentage, and reducing the number of security guards in
government health institutions. Among other salient points aimed at
cost-cutting is the decision to reduce rented vehicles by about 20-25
per cent from the current numbers. Under review is also the consumption
of electricity and water, which the Ministry intends to reduce by 20-30
per cent of the current usage levels.
The rental contracts of trucks used will be cancelled and replaced with
a contract based on the number of trips taken. There are also directives
to ban buying or replacing office furniture, and “cancelling garden
contracts and preserving green spaces through service contracts instead
of providing garden workers.”
The austerity measures also prohibit providing meals to unauthorised
personnel who accompany patients.