August 3 (SeeNews) - The World Bank said it has approved a $15 million (12.7 million euro) loan to Albania to provide the country with an emergency support to its healthcare system in order to better respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The loan will finance activities aimed at strengthening health services and safeguarding lives, such as widespread population testing, healthcare investments, training of medical staff and strengthening the capacity to assess and modify requirements for physical distancing, the World Bank said in a statement last week.
The investments that will be funded with the proceeds of the loan are also expected to boost the Albanian healthcare system's capacity for routine service delivery and for future health crises.
“The World Bank stands with the people of Albania during this unprecedented crisis. I would like to recognize the extraordinary dedication of health professionals in Albania to save people’s lives and strongly encourage citizens to strictly follow social distancing and other restrictive measures aimed at minimizing the impact of the pandemic”, Maryam Salim, the World Bank country manager for Albania, said in the statement.
($ = 0.8491 euro)