ADB provides grant to boost urban primary healthcare facilities
The assistance will help provide PPEs for about 2,700 doctors and health workers, launch awareness programmes about Covid-19 prevention and management
The government is going to set up handwashing stations and screening booths at 134 urban primary health centres, Nogor Swastho Kendro, across the country.
Over eight million urban poor, in nine city corporations and four municipalities, will get both Covid-19 and non-Covid-related healthcare services from there.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing $231,178, equivalent to Tk19.50 crore, as a grant to these health centres.
These centres were set up and being operated under the ADB-supported Urban Primary Health Care Services Delivery Project.
The grant assistance is sourced from ADB's Urban Climate Change Resilience Trust Fund, under the Urban Financing Partnership Facility.
The assistance will help provide personal protective equipment (PPE) suits to about 2,700 doctors and health workers working under the project, launch awareness programmes about Covid-19 prevention and management, and provide training on its detection and treatment to health workers and doctors.
"This initiative will be a model of providing both Covid and non-Covid-related healthcare services for over 8 million urban poor," said ADB Country Director Manmohan Parkash.
ADB so far approved support $600 million-plus for Bangladesh in the fight against Covid-19, reads a press release.
The agency recently approved $500 million as budget support to help Bangladesh mitigate the socio-economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Earlier, it also approved a $100 million concessional loan to support the government in meeting the immediate public health requirements.