Omani nationals have free access to the country's
public health care, though
expatriates typically seek medical care in private sector clinics and hospitals. Generally, the standard of care in the public sector is high for a middle-income country. Oman now has very low rate of disease once common communicable diseases such as
measles and
typhoid. Due to rapidly increasing incomes and changing lifestyles and diet, the levels of
non-communicable diseases such as
cardiovascular disease and
diabetes are an increasing problem.
The hospitals in Oman generally provide a high quality of health care. Most of the largest and most advanced hospitals and health centres are located in
Muscat, such as the Royal Hospital of Oman and the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital.
Though the Omanis have a high
life expectancy of 73.8 the nation's medical industry can not be compared to other more developed countries. Still the government is trying to develop this sector and encourage students to study medicine. Although a sizeable portion of the healthcare workforce is foreign born, due to an aggressive government policy of
Omanization, this is beginning to change. The country now has an accredited medical university and many Omani doctors have obtained their medical training in countries such as Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.