Construction of $1bn Oman medical city to begin in Dec 2012
Project to position Sultanate as a niche destination for medical tourism
Oman plans to build the $1bn International Medical City as a medical tourism destination.
RELATED ARTICLES: Oman allots $3.1bn in tenders | Oman calls for airport contract bids | Oman eyed for underwater hotel
Construction work on the $1bn Health City in Salalah, Oman is set to begin in December 2012, it was announced on Sunday.
The venture, dubbed the International Medical City, is an integrated, multi-speciality tertiary care project that aims to enhance the city’s appeal as a holiday destination. Scheduled to open by mid-2015, the medical city will position the Sultanate as a niche destination for medical tourism centring largely on the provision of high-end transplantation, rehabilitation and related tertiary care services.
“The project is ready to be established,” Dr Mohammed Sofayan, chief executive officer of the Apex Medical Group, which is overseeing the development of the project, said to the Oman Daily Observer.
“All of the requisite feasibility studies have been wrapped up, government and international formalities completed. We are now ready to establish, as part of Phase One, a transplant centre, diagnostic centre and tertiary care hospital, along with all necessary ancillary facilties,” he said.
The Saudi Arabian based group aims to break ground on the project on or around December 2nd. The city will be established on an 800,000m2 site allocated by the Ministry of Tourism. The Ministry of Health is also involved in the venture.
The project’s centrepiece will be a state-of-the-art organ transplant centre, along with diagnostic facilities and a 530 bed multi-speciality tertiary care hospital. AMG also plans to develop a healthcare resort, wellness centre, nursing college and a purpose built research and development facility.
“Our vision is to become a premier integrated tertiary care centre with a focus on transplantation and rehabilitation services. It will cater not only to people from Oman and the Gulf region, but also the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and indeed the entire world. Further, it is our mission to make our services very affordable to all patients, and to provide access to our well-established tertiary medical care,” Dr Sofayan said.
The IMC is set to be developed in three phases. Phase One will involve an investment of $320mn and is due to begin operations by mid-2015.
