I am assuming I will get a 1BR unit for ~OMR 250. Do we get reliable part-time maids who can help in cooking and cleaning needs? What could be the monthly outflow for such a service?
Yes, Typically a 1BR apartment (or a small portion in a villa) does cost approximately the same. Rent of an ordinaty 2BR apartment is approximately 350 to 400 in Azaiba, For the house maid, there are variations.
For a note, make sure to be careful in hiring maids as there may be issued with the visas and other stuff. Generally, it is mandatory for a person hiring a maid that he should sponsor the maids visa via his company. So if your company agrees to provide you a maid's visa, that would be good in a legal aspect.
However, as they say, there are ways behind the doors where people allow their maids to work part time for other houses too (That you may need to work on if you opt that). Those housemaids on part time charge from OMR8 per hour in general. But again, this practice is not permitted as per the Omani law.
is it possible to buy additional insurance and additional benefits by myself as part of the existing policy?
Yes, it is possible.
The basis of my question was a report that I read about Muscat Private Hospital, Sultan Qaboos Hospital, Royal Hospital being among the best in class hospitals in the region.
These hospitals are considered the best among all the available ones in Muscat. But that doesn't guarantee the availability of best doctors. Royal hospital is a govt. hospital and doesn't take expat patients unless they are referred by any other hospital or there's a life risked emergency.
is it possible to seek medical advice from Mumbai based doctors independently or thru some association with these regional hospitals?
You certainly can take advise from Mumbai based hospital but with your own consent and your own expenses. However, the medicines are only provided based on the prescription of local doctors.
@head
Are you sure about those figures? They seem to have an extra zero at the end. For that title I doubt you would get that salary. Anyways, maybe I'm not well informed.
There are quite much finance managers in various firms at Oman with a basic salary of OMR 4000+ plus other perks as well. A package of OMR 2000 is considered to be a general package for a qualified person.