Islamabad, 10th April 2020
Islamabad 10th April 2020: National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) procured medical relief equipment with financial assistance from National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) amid pandemic outbreak in the country.
In this regard the first consignment procured from China, carrying medical equipment including PCR Testing Kits, Mobile X-ray machines, Chinese KN 95 masks, disposable medical masks, and water-impermeable surgical gowns arrived at Islamabad International Airport today.
NDMA is procuring health products in phased manner. To date, NDMA has procured, including but not limited to, 36,000 Screening Kits, 14 X-Ray Machines, 196 Clinical ICU Ventilators, 150,000 KN 95 Masks, 2.0 million Disposable medical masks, 40 Bio Safety Cabinet (Large), 30,000 Water Impermeable Surgical Gowns, besides PPE, under the grant financing of NDRMF. Out of which phase the first consignment has reached the Country today via PIA cargo flight while other health products are in pipeline.
Considering the availability of limited health management resources in the country to manage the growing number of cases every day, Government of Pakistan (GOP) requested the International Development Partners (Donors) to help in bridging the financial gap to procure medical and health equipment to respond efficiently to control the spread of the virus.
NDRMF was the first donor to approve grant financing to NDMA in less than 24 hours to support Government’s response. It approved a project aimed to ‘Enhance Pakistan’s Capacity for Preparedness and Response for COVID-19’ with a total project cost of PKR 7,899.999 Million (the US $ 50.0 million), submitted by NDMA with the assistance of M/o NHRS&C. Out of the said financial commitment, NDRMF deposited PKR.3, 200,002,916 (US $ 20 Million) in the Consolidated (Non-Food) Account No. 1 of the GOP through Federal Treasury Office, (within 24 hours), from the profits that had been accrued from its Endowment Fund, which facilitated in timely procurements of necessary medical & health equipment from abroad. Asian Development Bank also re-appropriated additional 30M US$ from the loan granted to NDRMF, by putting on hold its third batch of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) projects.
Furthermore, NDMA being the lead operational agency to coordinate COVID-19 response will be responsible for the overall management of the project, including procurement, quality assurance, inventory & supply chain management, and Financial & Audit arrangements. To ensure the technical and other requirements NDMA will work in close coordination with M/o NHSRC and other stakeholders.
The challenge at present is to ensure containment of virus from spreading. The government is making all possible efforts to mobilize resources to cater for the situation. In this regard, NDRMF has offered all-out support to GOP to cope with the pandemic situation. In addition to US$50 million NDRMF has been able to arrange an additional US$ 60million under its Pakistan Hydro Met and Ecosystem Restoration Services Project (PHERSP) with a new component of ‘Enhancing Resilience to Climate Change Impacts and Health Shocks’. This will allow NDRMF to make a cumulative contribution of US$110million from its project resources. Additionally, NDRMF is preparing another project worth 100 Mn USD to be funded by ADB.
