HCMC – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a US$600,000 grant, sourced from two ADB Technical Assistance Special Funds, to help the Vietnamese Government in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
The first will help provide personal protective equipment valued at US$500,000 to the National Lung Hospital under the Ministry of Health in Hanoi, while the second will help upgrade equipment worth US$100,000 at the Public Health Emergency Operation Center under the Ministry of Health’s General Department of Preventive Medicine.
The personal protective equipment will help protect medical workers from a Covid-19 infection, which is crucial in the prolonged fight against Covid-19. Meanwhile, the upgraded equipment will significantly improve the efficiency of the Ministry of Health’s coordinated activities during the outbreak of the pandemic in the community.
Andrew Jeffries, ADB Country Director for Vietnam, said, “We commend the Government of Vietnam for its quick and effective emergency response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Under the strong leadership of the Government and with public self-consciousness, Vietnam is among the few countries that have successfully contained the impact from the Covid-19 pandemic.”
In April, ADB passed a US$20-billion expanded assistance package to support its developing members’ Covid-19 response. In Vietnam, ADB has been working with other development partners to support the Government’s ceaseless efforts in combating the pandemic.
The bank’s assistance was aimed at providing additional resources to strengthen Vietnam’s capacity to respond to outbreaks.
