Two supplementary loans worth US$ 500 million each were signed by the World Bank and India on Friday, March 4, to reinforce and upgrade the country’s healthcare infrastructure.
Via this combined financing of US$ 1 billion (approximately 8,200 crores), the bank will support India’s Pradhan Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), which was announced in October 2021 and aims to strengthen the public healthcare infrastructure across the country.
In addition to the national interventions, it was reported that one of the loans would prioritise the supply of health services in seven states, including Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.
Rajat Kumar Mishra, additional secretary for the department of economic affairs, and Auguste Tano Kouamé, country director for India at the World Bank, are listed as the signatories on the agreement.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a sharp reminder that pandemic preparedness is a global public good and brought to light the critical need for pandemic preparedness and health system improvement worldwide, according to Auguste Tano Kouamé.
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