Report a sentinel event or major incident to DGPHE in writing within three working days, and submit a root cause analysis with an action plan within 45 calendar days. Keep a complaints policy that staff and patients know, report medical complaints to DGPHE, and have every complaint file ready for the next visit.
What must be reported, and when
DGPHE's manual requires a written sentinel event policy. Any death of a patient inside the establishment, a fall that causes death or major permanent loss of function, a serious criminal act, a patient's suicide attempt, a full or partial evacuation and a fire are reported to DGPHE immediately, and no later than three working days after the event, by official letter to the Director. A written evaluation or root cause analysis with an action plan follows within 45 calendar days.1 The Executive Regulation also requires any criminal incident or death involving a patient or companion to be reported to the Ministry and the nearest police station, and recorded in a register kept for it.2
How complaints are handled
Complaint management policies and feedback procedures must exist and be communicated to staff and patients. Complaints about medical issues are reported to DGPHE, and complaint files are available during every DGPHE visit.1 A patient may also complain to DGPHE on its Complaint Registration Form, which asks whether the complaint was raised with the establishment first and what it answered.3 DGPHE's patients' rights policy, still published as a draft, expects every complaint to be acknowledged, investigated and answered in writing.4
| Event | Report to | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Sentinel event or major incident | DGPHE, by official letter | Within 3 working days |
| Root cause analysis and action plan | DGPHE | Within 45 calendar days |
| Criminal incident or death | The Ministry and the nearest police station | As it happens, with the register updated |
| Medical complaint | DGPHE | As the establishment's policy sets |
| Medication error | The establishment's management | As the establishment's policy sets |
- Make the patient safe. Treat, transfer by ambulance where needed, and record what was done.
- Preserve the record. Notes, messages and access logs stay exactly as they were.
- Write to DGPHE. An official letter to the Director within three working days.
- Run the root cause analysis. From the record and the people involved, with actions, owners and dates.
- Submit within 45 days. And keep the analysis for the next visit.
- Establishment ______ Licence number ______
- Date and time of event ______
- Category ______
- What happened ______
- Immediate actions ______
- Reported to DGPHE on ______ By ______
- Root cause analysis due ______
Questions
How does wai support an incident review?
wai holds the record, the messages and the audit trail your incident analysis draws on, each with a time and a name.
How fast must we report a sentinel event?
Immediately, and no later than three working days after it happens.
Can a patient complain directly to the Ministry?
Yes, on DGPHE's Complaint Registration Form, which also asks whether the establishment was told first.
Sources
- 1Ministry of Health, Oman, 2024Licensing Regulations for Private Health Establishments Manual, MoH/DGPHE/F/013/Vers.003, August 2024Read source
- 2Qanoon.om, 2024Ministerial Decision 231/2024 issuing the Executive Regulation of the Law Regulating the Practice of the Medical Profession and Allied Medical ProfessionsRead source
- 3Ministry of Health, Oman, 2025Complaint Registration Form, MOH/DGPHE/FRM/054/Vers.02, April 2025Read source
- 4Ministry of Health, Oman, 2012Patients' Rights and Responsibilities Policy, P002-2012, draft for the private sectorRead source
Written by the wai team from Oman Ministry of Health guidance, checked on 16 October 2026. This is guidance, not legal advice. Oman MOH does not endorse wai or any software.