THE World Bank has approved a $100-million loan for the Philippines’ coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emergency response, to help meet urgent healthcare needs amid the pandemic and boost the country’s public health preparedness.
The World Bank said in a statement yesterday the COVID-19 Emergency Response Project, which will be implemented by the Department of Health (DOH), will help strengthen the essential healthcare delivery system for critical medical services in the face of increased demand in the coming months.
“Boosting the country’s capacity to respond to COVID-19 will save lives,” said Achim Fock, World Bank acting country director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand.
“The government has taken quick and decisive action in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and the World Bank is proud to support its efforts. Right now, no other investment offers greater return,” he added.
The project will focus on providing personal protective equipment such as goggles, gloves, gowns; drugs such as antivirals, antibiotics and essential medicines; medical supplies such as intensive care unit equipment and devices such as mechanical ventilators, cardiac monitors, portable x-ray machines; laboratory equipment and test kits.
In addition, the project will support the necessary logistics and supply chains to help ensure that the equipment will reach frontline health facilities without delays, the World Bank said.
The project will also support the DOH in preparing guidance on standard design for hospital isolation and treatment centers to manage Severe Acute Respiratory Infections patients, which will be used in health facilities across the country to ensure standards and quality of COVID-19 healthcare services.
The World Bank said the project will also fund the expansion of the country’s laboratory capacity at the national and sub-national levels for prevention of and preparedness against emerging infectious diseases.
It will support retrofitting of the national reference laboratory, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, as well as six sub-national and public health laboratories in Baguio, Cebu, Davao and Manila, and finance the construction and expansion of laboratory capacity in priority regions that currently do not have these facilities, the multilateral agency said.
On April 9, the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors also approved $500 million in financing to help strengthen the Philippine government’s capacity to address disaster risks, respond to and recover from natural disasters as well as address urgent needs created by the COVID-19 crisis.
ADB grant
Malacanang yesterday welcomed the $3 million grant from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) that would be used to boost the Philippines’ efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said the ADB grant would go to the building of coronavirus testing facility.
Roque said the ADB fund would boost efforts of government to improve the capability of other regions outside Metro Manila to handle the mass testing and treatment for the COVID 19.
“We received the grant for $3 million from Asian Development Bank, that would be use to purchase testing facilities and we also received the laboratory equipment which was delivered to Jose Lingga General Hospital in San Fernando Pampanga,” Roque said.
Roque said the development of the testing facility is important as the government ramps up the mass testing of suspected COVID-19 cases in a bid to identify, isolate and treat those who are found to be positive for coronavirus.
He said the Department of Health (DH) now has the capability to conduct 2,500 to 3,000 COVID-19 tests per day. (with J. Montemayor)