Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 25) — The Asian Development Bank said it is extending a fresh $125 million (about ₱6 billion) loan to further boost the Philippines’ healthcare and testing capacities as the COVID-19 crisis lingers on.
In a statement, the regional lender said its Health System Enhancement to Address and Limit (HEAL) COVID-19 Project will provide fresh funds for the Department of Health to improve medical services in the country through new equipment and additional training for health workers.
The loan should improve the country’s capacity to “prevent and control the spread of the coronavirus disease pandemic,” it said.
Sakiko Tanaka, ADB principal social sector specialist for Southeast Asia, said the new loan willo assist the Philippines in scaling up COVID-19 tests, surveillance, critical care equipment, and infection prevention and control.
The development agency said the money is also expected to support the country’s goal of doubling daily coronavirus tests from 31,000 as of August to 75,000 per day by December.
Local coronavirus cases are nearing 200,000, while deaths have topped 3,000.
Once the loan accord is signed, the DOH is authorized to spend the money to buy electrocardiography machines and defibrillators, as well as to upgrade laboratories and isolation wards of 17 major hospitals in the country.
Additional ventilators and CT scan machines should also be provided for urban and far-flung health facilities, on top of more test kits and personal protective equipment for frontliners.
The fresh loan is on top of the $3 million (about ₱145 million) debt approved in March for the purchase of emergency medical supplies, given just weeks after the country confirmed local COVID-19 transmissions.
The ADB earlier said it is ready to lend $4.2 billion (about ₱207 billion) to the Philippines this year, an all-time high to support coronavirus response measures.
READ: Gov’t aims to test 10 million Filipinos for COVID-19 within 8 to 10 months
