In a move to encourage private sector investment in public infrastructure and services, the Ministry of Health (MOH), in coordination with the Ministry of Finance, has signed an agreement with Al-Salwa Healthcare and Services Company. The agreement aims to operate, manage, and expand the new Recovery Center in Sohar, which will serve as a center of excellence for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug and psychoactive substance addicts.
The agreement was signed on behalf of the Ministry of Health by H.E. Dr. Ahmed bin Salim Al-Mandhri, MOH Undersecretary for Planning and Health Regulation, and by Ali Kamal Dawood, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al-Salwa Healthcare and Services Company. The signing was witnessed by H.E. Mahmoud bin Abdullah Al-Awaini, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Finance, along with other officials.
The agreement commits the company to operate and manage the center’s facilities, which, in its first phase, will include 30 rehabilitation beds and a detoxification unit with a capacity of 25 beds. The contract has a duration of 12 years.
The new Recovery Center in Sohar is being privately funded by the Jissour Foundation and will feature several key facilities, including inpatient units, a psychological counseling building, a training and development hall, a vocational and craft training center, a prayer room, outpatient clinics, and administrative offices. Furthermore, facilities include maintenance and service buildings, security guard posts, and indoor and outdoor multi-purpose sports halls.
The Center seeks to address the gap in services provided by the Ministry of Health and public sector initiatives for addiction recovery, offering aftercare and rehabilitation services, and engaging governmental and non-governmental authorities in rehabilitation and aftercare programs.
In addition, the Center will focus on reducing the risk of relapse by developing individual skills for lifestyle change, promoting independence and self-reliance, and enhancing the social and economic well-being of recovering addicts through job skill development. This initiative aims to help integrate recovering individuals into society and reduce the health and social problems linked to drug and psychoactive substance abuse.
On a broader level, the Center will contribute to reducing the societal burden of behavioral and ethical risks associated with addiction. It will also raise public awareness of the dangers of addiction and foster a healthier lifestyle and behaviors, especially among youth and other vulnerable groups.