PH gets $125-m loan for covid-19 response

The Philippines’ war chest against COVID-19 has been injected with a new $125-million (more than P6 billion) loan extended by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to beef up coronavirus prevention as well as stem its spread.

In a statement Tuesday, the Manila-based ADB said its latest loan for the health system enhancement to address and limit (Heal) COVID-19 project would enable the Department of Health (DOH) to improve health services across the country through the upgrading of medical equipment and related training.

Specifically, the ADB said this Heal COVID-19 loan would be spent to buy medical equipment such as defibrillators and electrocardiography machines for 17 major hospitals nationwide while upgrading their isolation facilities and laboratories.

The project loan will also be used to buy ventilators to be distributed to 70 DOH hospitals and 20 island-local government hospitals.

Using this loan, the DOH will likewise set up computed tomography (CT) scan machines in 33 hospitals to improve clinical management of COVID-19 cases, the ADB said.

To help ramp up the daily COVID-19 testing capacity to 75,000 by yearend from 31,000 as of mid-August, the loan will also be tapped to deliver test kits, chemicals and reagents to about 10 public molecular laboratories, the ADB added.

Also, front-line health workers as well as laboratory technicians will be provided with personal protective equipment to be procured through this loan.

“In addition, the project will fund the training of staff and laboratory technicians on how to operate and maintain the equipment. Doctors and nurses in obstetrics, pediatric and emergency departments will learn how to reduce infection and control virus transmission.

Health workers will also learn how to provide psycho-social support to patients and families, including pregnant women and other vulnerable groups affected by COVID-19,” according to the ADB. —BEN O. DE VERA INQ