Introduction and Scope
Muscat Private Hospital is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the personal and medical information entrusted to us by our patients and their families.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, protect and share personal information when you receive care at our hospital, contact us, or use our website.
We handle personal information in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Law of the Sultanate of Oman (Royal Decree No. 6/2022) and its Executive Regulations, the requirements of the Ministry of Health, and other laws applicable to private healthcare establishments in Oman.
This policy applies to patients, prospective patients, visitors, website users, and any individual whose information we receive in connection with our services.
Information We Collect
Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:
Name and contact information — such as your full name, telephone number, email address and postal address.
Appointment and enquiry information — details of appointments, requested services, preferred doctor or department, and the content of enquiries you submit to us.
Identification information where required — such as identity card or passport details, date of birth, nationality and civil status number, where this is needed to register you, verify your identity, or meet legal and regulatory requirements.
Health and medical information — including medical history, symptoms, diagnoses, test and imaging results, treatment and medication records, clinical notes, and any health information you provide through our services or online forms.
Insurance and payment information — where you are treated under an insurance policy or third-party arrangement, or where payment details are required for billing.
Basic website, device and cookie information — where applicable, such as your IP address, browser type and pages viewed, collected when you visit our website.
We collect information directly from you, from your family member or legal guardian where relevant, and from healthcare providers or insurers involved in your care where this is authorised or permitted.
How We Use Personal Information
We use personal information to:
- Register you as a patient and manage your appointments and enquiries.
- Provide medical consultation, diagnosis, treatment, nursing care and follow-up.
- Create and maintain accurate medical records.
- Communicate with you about your care, results, appointments and hospital services.
- Process billing, payments and insurance claims where applicable.
- Support internal healthcare operations such as clinical governance, quality of care and patient safety.
- Respond to complaints, enquiries and feedback.
- Meet our obligations under Omani law, Ministry of Health requirements and other regulatory requirements.
- Operate and maintain our website.
We do not use your personal information for purposes that are unrelated to those described above without informing you and obtaining your consent where the law requires it.
Health and Sensitive Personal Data
Health and medical information is treated as sensitive personal data and is handled with a higher level of protection.
Access to medical information is limited to authorised healthcare professionals and staff who need it to provide or support your care, and all such individuals are bound by professional and legal duties of medical confidentiality.
Where Omani law imposes additional conditions on the processing of sensitive personal data — including any permit or authorisation required from the competent authority — we process such data in accordance with those requirements.
Consent and Lawful Processing
Where required by Omani law, we process personal information on the basis of your clear consent, which may be given in writing, electronically, or through the hospital's registration and treatment forms.
In certain situations, Omani law permits or requires us to process personal information without consent, including where processing is necessary to protect life or health, to deliver medical care in an emergency, to comply with a legal obligation, or to respond to a lawful request from a competent authority.
You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us. Withdrawal applies to future processing only and does not affect processing already carried out, or information we are legally required to retain. Withdrawing consent may limit our ability to provide certain services to you.
When Information May Be Shared
We do not sell personal information. However, in order to provide care and meet our legal obligations, personal information may be shared in the following circumstances:
Authorised healthcare professionals — doctors, nurses, technicians and other clinical staff involved in your care, and, where relevant and authorised, referring or receiving healthcare providers.
Service providers and processors — organisations that provide services to the hospital, such as laboratory, diagnostic, IT or administrative support. They may only process personal information on our instructions and under confidentiality and data-protection obligations.
Insurers and third-party payers — where you are covered by insurance or another payment arrangement, and to the extent required to verify eligibility, obtain approvals or process claims.
The Ministry of Health and other competent authorities — where disclosure is required by Omani law, including notifiable disease reporting, health regulatory requirements, judicial or official requests, and other legal obligations.
Persons you authorise — family members, legal guardians or representatives you have authorised to receive information on your behalf.
Data Security and Confidentiality
We apply administrative, technical and physical measures designed to protect personal and medical information against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration or loss.
Access to patient records is restricted to authorised personnel, and our staff and contracted service providers are bound by confidentiality obligations under Omani law and hospital policy.
Where a personal data breach occurs that is likely to affect your rights, we will act in accordance with the notification requirements of Omani data protection law.
Data Retention
We retain personal and medical information for the periods required by applicable Omani law, Ministry of Health requirements, and for legitimate healthcare, insurance, accounting and legal purposes.
When information is no longer required for these purposes, it is securely destroyed or anonymised.
International and Cross-Border Data Transfers
Personal information is processed in the Sultanate of Oman. Where a transfer of personal information outside Oman becomes necessary — for example, in connection with specialist medical opinion, referral, or an authorised service provider — such transfer will only take place in accordance with the requirements of Omani data protection law and subject to appropriate safeguards.
Your Rights
Subject to the conditions and exceptions set out in Omani law, you have the right to:
- Be informed about the purposes for which your personal data is collected and processed.
- Request access to your personal data held by us and obtain a copy of it.
- Request correction or updating of inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Request the transfer of your personal data to another controller, where this is technically feasible and permitted.
- Withdraw your consent to processing, as described in Section 5.
- Request that your personal data be erased or destroyed, where the law permits.
- Be notified of a personal data breach affecting your data, in accordance with the law.
- Submit a complaint to the competent authority in Oman if you believe your rights have not been respected.
Please note that certain medical records must be retained for the periods required by law and Ministry of Health requirements, and requests for erasure cannot be fulfilled where retention is legally required.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 14. We may ask you to verify your identity before responding.
Children's and Minors' Information
Where we treat a patient under the age of 18, personal and health information is collected and processed with the consent of a parent or legal guardian, except where emergency medical care is required or where the law provides otherwise.
Parents and legal guardians may exercise the rights set out in this policy on behalf of a minor, subject to applicable law and clinical considerations.
Our website is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children through the website without guardian involvement.
Cookies and Website Analytics
Our website may use essential cookies that are necessary for the site to function correctly, such as maintaining your session and supporting security and basic site preferences.
Where analytics or performance cookies are used, they help us understand how the website is used so that we can improve it. Any such use will be carried out in accordance with applicable Omani requirements, and you may manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect how parts of the website function.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services or in applicable legal and regulatory requirements. The updated version will be published on this page with a revised effective date.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights, or would like to raise a privacy concern, please contact us:
Email: info@muscatprivatehospital.com Telephone: +968 2458 3600 Address: Muscat Private Hospital, Al Khuwair, Bausher Street, PC 133, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman