WORK will commence on the construction of the new Sultan Qaboos Hospital in Salalah, Oman, in early 2012, according to a report.

The new building will span 200,000 sq m and will comprise 700 inpatient beds along with observation beds and daycare beds, the World Interior Design Network reported.

The facility will incorporate various units including the adult and paediatric emergency services, physiotherapy, nuclear medicine, dietary services, warehouses, in addition to a pharmacy and a conference auditorium, it said.

Further, it will serve as a referral hospital housing medical specialties like internal medicine, general surgery, paediatrics, orthopaedics, ophthalmology, ENT and psychiatry units, it said.

 There will also be urology, neurosurgery, reconstruction and burns, dental, dermatology, renal, radiology, laboratory, accidents and emergency departments as well as various other medical specialty wings. All the units will be equipped with the most advanced equipment.