The ENT Department was first started in the year 1974. It has made constant progress and is now comparable with the most modern departments anywhere. Constant efforts are being made to ensure that patients receive service par excellence at all times.     Otolaryngology (pronounced oh/toe/lair/in/goll/oh/jee) is the oldest medical specialty in the United States. Otolaryngologists are physicians trained in the medical and surgical management and treatment of patients with diseases and disorders of the ear, nose, throat (ENT), and related structures of the head and neck. They are commonly referred to as ENT physicians. Their special skills include diagnosing and managing diseases of the sinuses, larynx (voice box), oral cavity, and upper pharynx (mouth and throat), as well as structures of the neck and face. Otolaryngologists diagnose, treat, and manage specialty-specific disorders as well as many primary care problems in both children and adults.     Oman, officially Sultanate of Oman, formerly Muscat and Oman, independent sultanate (1995 est. pop. 2,125,000), 82,000 sq mi (212,380 sq km), SE Arabian peninsula, bounded by the Gulf of Oman (E), the Arabian Sea (S), Yemen and Saudi Arabia (W), and the United Arab Emirates (N), which separate the main portion of the country from an exclave that juts into the Strait of Hormuz. The capital is Muscat. Oman comprises a coastal plain and an interior region of hills and desert. Dates, limes, nuts, and vegetables are cultivated in the north and livestock are raised in the southwest, but the major product is oil. Natural gas production and copper mining were developed in the early 1980s to diversify the economy. The population is predominantly Muslim Arab, with Pakistani, Indian, and Zanzibari minorities.