ADB okays $100 million loan for KP’s secondary healthcare

ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $100 million results-based loan to help strengthen the quality of secondary health care in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province in Pakistan, ARY News reported on Thursday.

In a press statement, the ADB noted the program would help improve the delivery of health services at secondary hospitals by modernizing infrastructure and equipment; ensuring clinical protocols, standards, and guidelines are implemented; and improving human resources planning and medicine supply chain management.

“While the coronavirus placed an enormous strain on essential health services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and across the country, Pakistan now faces unprecedented flooding exacerbating the risk of waterborne diseases,” said ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov.

He further said, “This program will make a key contribution to improving the quality of secondary hospital services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). It will also support efforts to control the spread of infectious diseases.”

According to the statement, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) health sector faces significant challenges including outdated secondary health care facilities and equipment, and inadequate quality assurance standards and processes.

The province suffers from high infant and maternal mortality rates, at 53 per 1,000 live births and 165 per 100,000, respectively.

“ADB’s assistance will help sustain health reforms started by the provincial government and strengthen the resilience of the health systems to future pandemics,” said ADB Senior Health Specialist for Central and West Asia Hiddo Huitzing.

“It will benefit an estimated 38 million people, including women in need of maternal health care services, and will also create jobs in the health sector,” Huitzing added.

In response to the floods, ADB is preparing a significant response package to support people, livelihoods, and infrastructure immediately and in the long-term.

The bank has already approved a $3 million grant to fund the immediate purchase of relief goods such as food supplies and tents. ADB is also processing a separate countercyclical package to help Pakistan weather the impacts of external shocks.