Within the ongoing national efforts exerted by the Ministry of Health to combat the spread of corona virus pandemic (COVID-19), the Directorate General of Medical Supplies affirmed that the ministry is maintaining a good stock of life-saving medications, medical equipment, and the required lap screening tests to cover the needs of the MOH health institutions. Among the items are those essential for the therapeutic and preventive protocols issued by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization, which include antibiotics and anti-virals, as well as personal protective items such as masks and hand sanitizers, etc.

The Director General of Medical Supplies Pharmacist. Nussaiba Habib emphasized the Ministry’s continuing work to follow up on providing and reinforcing available stock to ensure that all the requirements of combating the epidemic are met continuously in sufficient quantities, including medicines, medical supplies and medical textiles for medical staff. Moreover, additional medical gas cylinders have been provided and more companies were contracted to provide Liquid Oxygen (LOX) tanks in referral hospitals tanks.

Recently, the Royal Air Force of Oman airlifted medical equipment and supplies from China upon MOH request.  The shipment included personal protective items, lab screening tests, and other medical devices, which help in strengthening medical supplies stock in the Ministry. More flights are planned successively during this week to provide any urgent essential requirement for combating the disease.     

In addition, the DG is scaling up preparedness and response level in the central medical warehouses in Muscat as well in its provincial warehouses in Nizwa and Salalah in order to ensure constant availability of vital medical supplies at the MOH’s institutions throughout a two-working period from 7:30 am till 6 pm, taking into consideration employees’ distribution in two shifts by approximately 50%, as well keeping safe distance within the offices and medical stores as per the guidelines issued to prevent the spread of the disease.

The administration, directors, and heads at the DGMS are following up supplies around the clock from their homes after official hours by activating the technical link to the automated inventory management system in the Directorate to achieve the continuity of follow-up procedures in providing the additional quantities required to combat the pandemic as well as finding alternative urgent sources of supply that meet the specifications of good manufacturing. Their work additionally lies in paving the way to overcome the difficulties impeding the flow of supplies needed to control the diseases with the global demand soaring by all countries along with the significant impact on the means of logistics supplies after the suspension of the air, sea and land hubs among countries, in addition to the fact that some countries  have temporary suspended the export of required medicines and medical supplies from infected countries for the time being.

Sultanate has a Buffer Stock of Medical Supplies 

Pharmacist. Nusseiba Habib stated that since the beginning of the eighties, the Ministry has maintained a good stockpile of vital medicines and the essential medical supplies to cope with emergency conditions and crises, prevent the effects of epidemics and disasters, and provide the necessary ambulatory medical care in a timely manner for protecting citizens and residents’ health.

The Sultanate is pioneer in this field among all the countries in the region regarding the establishment of a strategic stock for medical supplies under royal orders issued in this regard.  The quality of vital medicines and medical supplies in the buffer stock is periodically updated by adding the types of modern drugs and essential medical supplies that are approved for use in the Ministry of Health. The Ministry is currently taking advantage of this important stock to meet the increases that occur in health institution’s needs, particularly the items required to respond to the epidemic.

Regulating Medicines Dispensing for Patients:

Within the actions taken to reduce overcrowding of patients at ministry’s pharmacies, pharmacies within the hospitals, polyclinics, and health centers affiliated with the MOH will dispense the prescribed medications for chronic diseases for a period of two months instead of one month as was previously administered, running two shifts- morning and day. The patient or another person in his behalf need to take a prior appointment to receive the medication.  Patients or their families will be contacted by phone, text message or WhatsApp to inform them of the time of receiving the medications.

The Ministry of Health calls on citizens to take into account that the medications should be received from the pharmacies by families of patients on behalf of chronic diseases patients, given that this category is the most critical when exposed to infection, noting that one person from the family should come to receive the medications.