Muscat – Work on the new Sultan Qaboos Hospital (SQH) project in Salalah is progressing rapidly with completion of 75 per cent of the structural work and 33 per cent overall.

Built at a cost of RO138mn and considered to be one of the most vital projects for the health sector in Dhofar governorate, the 700-bed hospital will be built on a total area of 850,000sqm.

H H Sayyid Marwan bin Turki al Said, Governor of Dhofar, paid a visit to the hospital project on Tuesday accompanied by H E Dr Hilal bin Ali al Sabti, Minister of Health.

The visit aimed to inspect progress of construction work. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2024.

H H Sayyid Marwan praised the way the project is being implemented in accordance to approved technical and medical standards, adding that the project will enhance the health sector in Dhofar.

Jamal bin Salem al Shanfari, Director General of Directorate General of Projects and Engineering Affairs in the Ministry of Health, made a presentation to the visitors in which he talked about the features of the hospital, which will have a total built up area of 222,000sqm.

Shanfari explained that the main building will include specialised units for accidents and emergencies, medical imaging, rehabilitation and chemotherapy, besides a dialysis unit, burns unit, day clinics, paediatric care department, adult intensive care and cardiac care. It will also have a unit for premature babies, operating rooms, delivery rooms and VIP suites.

An annex building will consist of a lecture hall, health education department, pathology laboratories and a central sterilisation unit.

Dr Ali bin Abdullah al Muqbali, Director General of Directorate General of Health Services in the Governorate of Dhofar, said that the new hospital will bring about a qualitative leap in health services in the governorate.