The World Bank approved a fresh loan for the Philippine government’s coronavirus emergency response project that will help the nation’s urgent healthcare needs in the wake of the global pandemic.
In a statement, the Washington-based lender said that it approved a $100 million loan to bolster the country’s public health preparedness amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis.
According to the World Bank, the loan proceeds will be under the Department of Health (DoH) and should help strengthen its essential healthcare delivery system for critical medical services in the face of increased demand in the coming months.
Achim Fock, World Bank Philippine acting country director, said the government has taken “quick and decisive” action in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and they are “proud to support its efforts.”
“Boosting the country’s capacity to respond to COVID-19 will save lives,” Fock said. “Right now, no other investment offers greater return.”
The DoH’s emergency response project is focused on providing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as goggles, gloves, gowns, as well as drugs like antivirals, antibiotics and other essential medicines.
It also focuses on medical supplies including 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 project will also support the DoH in preparing guidance on standard design for hospital isolation and treatment centers to manage Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) patients, which will be used in health facilities across the country to ensure standards and quality of COVID-19 healthcare services.
This 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 (RITM) – as well as six sub-national and public health laboratories in the cities of 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 Philippines is one of the countries in the East Asia and the Pacific region hit hard by COVID-19.
The COVID-19 Emergency Response Project is part of the World Bank Group’s fast-track package to strengthen the COVID-19 response in developing countries and shorten the time to recovery.
Earlier this month, the World Bank 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 health crisis. (Chino S. Leyco)