Medical Care

Medical care in Oman is of high quality. Hospitals and general practitioners are absolutely up-to-date when it comes to technology and comparable to Western European standards with regard to their training of level. The clinics and hospitals are clean and hygiene is very important here. You do not have to worry about getting sick in Oman. Even though you do not want to be sick while on holiday, you should make some preparations from the beginning to be on the safe side in case something happens.

Check your health insurance before departure

For locals and foreigners working for the government, medical care in government hospitals and in many private practices is completely free. This is different with tourists. The basic medical care in an emergency clinic is also free for tourists. Anything beyond that costs money. Oman is not a country in which the costs of treating illness or disease are covered by the local statutory health insurance. For this reason, it is worthwhile to get additional health insurance. Appropriate insurances are usually cheap and offer a comparatively low annual fee. The length of the period of insurance is adequate for several stays abroad. The insurance provides security for the traveler so that the costs of treatment for any illness that are incurred abroad, which the traveler would otherwise be responsible for out-of-pocket, will be paid for by the insurance company. Moreover, if ever a traveler was seriously ill and forced to return to their homeland, the cost of repatriation from a non-European country can quickly reach astronomical sums. Therefore, you should make sure that this potentiality is covered accordingly when choosing the travel health insurance.

If you want a German-speaking doctor, you should be prepared

There are a number of German-speaking doctors in Oman. You should first contact the German embassy in the country if you want to be sure that such a German-speaking practioner can be found in your region. The embassy will have an address list with German-speaking doctors in Oman. In general, most Omani doctors either study abroad or are foreigners. Thus, understanding and communicating in case of illness should not be a problem because all practicing physicians speak at least English. The same applies to the pharmacies, which are sufficiently present in larger locations. Except for a short lunch break, they are generally open from morning to evening.