The Ministry of Health represented by the Department of Infection Prevention and Control at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention launched today (Monday) the first edition of the National Medical Devices Reprocessing Manual. 
The inauguration ceremony was held under the auspices H.E. Dr. Hilal Ali Al Sabti, Minister of Health, in the presence of a number of representatives of the health sectors, Directors General, hospitals’ Directors, Heads of Departments as well health workers of various related specialties.
The ceremony is accompanied by a two-day training program in which 200 participants will receive training on the policies and work procedures included in the Medical Devices Reprocessing Manual.
Dr. Amal Al Ma’nei, Director General of Center for Disease Control and Prevention reviewed the importance of sterilization services in health institutions and their effective role in protecting all patients by providing sterilization services for medical and surgical tools and supplies used. Dr. Al Ma’nei further gave a brief of the process of forming a medical and surgical sterilization program at the Ministry of Health.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Qayoudi, Director of Infection Prevention and Control gave a presentation on the most important stages of the sterilization services development in the Sultanate of Oman. He touched on the Ministry’s keenness for this specialty as it was restructured in 2014 to run as a section under the Infection Prevention and Control department. The Center sought to qualify national cadres working in the field of sterilization and to provide education and training for them in order to raise the quality of services and patient safety.
Moreover, Dr. Al-Qayoudi reviewed the achievements that have been accomplished during the last period; most important of which is the launch of diploma program in sterilization in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor as part of employment-related training programmes. 
Using artificial intelligence technology, a virtual figure was introduced in the event. For the first time in MOH, (Weqaa) is the search tool deployed in Medical Devices Reprocessing Manual. 
The inauguration included a presentation of sterilization history in Oman; a development and achievements in addition to the center's role in supporting and qualifying staff working in the sterilization departments in health institutions, offering training on the latest international standards in dealing with surgical instruments for medical and surgical use. This to find national outputs with international experience and qualifications 
The patron of the event electronically signed the Medical Devices Reprocessing Manual and honored editors of the sterilization diploma curriculum that is being currently implemented at the Higher Institute of Health Specialties. Furthermore, (25) sterilizations' technicians who have prepared the Manual were honored. 
At the end of the ceremony, His Excellency the Minister and the guests took a tour of the accompanying exhibition, which included models and e-boards highlighting the stages of work, as well as quality assurance inspection tools for the sterilization process to ensure safe infection-free healthcare. The exhibition also featured an explanation of the use of modern technologies such as artificial intelligence to facilitate procedures. Additionally, guests were able to visit a sterilization unit through virtual reality.