Health remains a priority..! India signs a loan pact of $328 mn with World Bank citing improved health services in Andhra Pradesh

New Delhi, June 28: Viewing to improve the quality and responsiveness of public health services in the state of Andhra Pradesh, the Central, State and the World Bank Executive on Thursday signed a loan agreement of $328 million.

 

Andhra Pradesh has over the years demonstrated a strong commitment to improving health outcomes. In 2017-18, it allocated 5 per cent of its total public expenditure towards health and has initiated significant steps towards strengthening its public health system.

 

 

The World Bank Loan will support the to scale-up its efforts to bring better health care to all its citizens, especially pregnant women and those at risk of non-communicable diseases, like hypertension, diabetes and cervical cancer.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Sameer Kumar Khare of the Ministry of Finance said that the Centre's commitment to improve the country's health outcomes were fully mirrored in the State of Andhra Pradesh. “This New Project will help leverage the State’s own systems and processes, and build capacity, thus enhancing the sustainability of the interventions”, he added.

 

“Public health institutions in the state will be strengthened through generation of quality information and its use in day-to-day management, and resource allocation process. Public feedback will be sought as a performance indicator for the State's Public Health Institutions”, he said.

 

Meanwhile, Junaid Ahmad of the World Bank said that Andhra Pradesh has been fully committed to improving its health outcomes. “The Project will support the state in adopting innovative and technologically-driven approaches to improve access and quality of health services”.

 

He further said that the project will support certification of health centers when they achieve and maintain quality standards, engagement of private service providers for improved quality of care, improved pharmaceutical stock management system, integrated online patient management system and empanelment of private pharmacies to dispense State-financed drugs to improve their access to the population. “It will also support the rollout of a system for measuring and reporting on patient experience”, he said.

 

The $328 Million Loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development has a 23.5-year maturity which includes a 6-year grace period.