This research will underpin long-term plans and strategies on pandemic management. The project is also helping to develop the country’s infection control and surveillance systems and supporting epidemiological studies on the patterns of transmission, and on community response and behavior. For better preparedness, selected hospitals are now being developed as medical centers for current and future pandemic situations, and the existing laboratory system is being strengthened. Flexibility to use ongoing government procurement methods (adopting the principles of advance procurement) were provided for the first three months following project signing.Īctivities were also initiated to strengthen the National Emergency Operation Unit and its island wide network.
#SRI LANKA SUPPORT SYSTEMS HOUSING MAHADEWI UPGRADE#
This helped identified facilities to quickly upgrade their wards to make them COVID-ready. The project adopted a flexible approach to respond to urgent health needs, enabling reimbursement for routine goods and operating expenditures for facilities that were engaged in the COVID-19 response. Bank financing was used to fill resource gaps and to supplement and scale up Sri Lanka’s pandemic management strategy. This approach allowed for swift preparation, while ensuring coordinated financing support by multiple partners. Recognizing the limited availability of the health authorities for separate detailed design discussions, strategies and project priorities were built on gaps and needs outlined in the Health Disaster Preparedness, Response and Recovery plan that was being developed by the Ministry of Health (MoH) and development partners including WHO, World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB), among others. Within this context, the World Bank responded quickly, leveraging the dedicated COVID-19 Fast-Track Facility, to mobilize resources and prepare the project in just 10 working days. Photo Credit: Samitha Darshanika Senadheera / World Bank