$1bn Omani medical city to open in 2016
Project scheduled to begin infrastructure work this year
Work on the $1bn International Medical City in Salalah will begin this year.
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The $1bn International Medical City in Salalah, Oman is set to launch in 2016, the promoters behind the ambitious healthcare infrastructure and medical tourism venture confirmed on Monday.
Dr Naeema Aziz, project director, said that the integrated development would house the region’s first purpose built transplantation and rehabilitation centre. Furthermore, it would also have Oman’s first advanced tertiary care hospital and diagnostic’s centre, a report in the Oman Daily Observer said.
“The International Medical City will open a new chapter in Oman’s healthcare development,” Dr Aziz said. “It will establish the Sultanate as a regional hub for transplant based medical tourism, encompassing kidney, liver and pancreas transplantation and rehabilitation services. Besides easing the government’s burden in providing tertiary healthcare services, this prestigious venture will also contribute to economic development in Salalah and create employment for Omanis,” she added.
Development of the project is expected to begin this year on a 870,000m2 stretch of waterfront, overlooking the Gulf of Oman. The plot has been allocated by the Ministry of Tourism, which indicates significant government backing for the scheme. The Ministry of Health also supports the project’s development, Dr Aziz said.
IMC will be developed in three phases, with the first phase centred on the construction of a 530 multi-speciality tertiary care hospital, with a proposed three centres for transplantation services, rehabilitative care and diagnostic services.
Phase II will see a healthcare resort developed, with a four-star medical hotel. Residential quarters for faculty and staff, serviced apartments for clients and additional commercial components will also be built during this phase. Phase III will focus on the development of a medical education complex, featuring dedicated medical and nursing colleges and a R&D centre.
Dr Aziz said that infrastructure for the project would commence this year, alongside the engineering design of the healthcare components and serviced apartments. Actual construction of the healthcare cluster, as well as serviced apartments, is scheduled to be completed in 2015. The formal inauguration of the project will be in 2016, she said.
