ADB funded first consignment arrives

ISLAMABAD: The first batch of medical supplies and personal protective equipment funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB) to cope with coronavirus (COVID-19) arrived here on Friday.

The consignment was procured by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and funded by ADB through National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF), the ADB said in a message through its official twitter account. The equipment would be distributed to medical centers nationwide.

Earlier, the ADB had announced to repurpose $50 million from Pakistan s NDRMF to support the Government of Pakistan s preventive and response efforts to fight the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country.

The funds, which form part of ADB s series of support for Pakistan s fight against COVID-19, will help to procure medical equipment and supplies to strengthen hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, isolation units, and other medical facilities in the country.

The funds include the reallocation of $30 million of previously approved but unutilized resources from ADB to NDRMF.

Following a request for emergency support from the Government of Pakistan, ADB swiftly processed a change in scope in its NDRMF project, enabling the repurposing and immediate use of these resources in the fight against COVID-19. In addition, NDRMF has provided $20 million using capital gains from its endowment fund financed by ADB to support the government s COVID-19 response.

These funds complement the financing approved on April 2, by the World Bank under its Pandemic Response Effectiveness Project.