Daily Times

After the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and post declaration of National Health Emergency of public concern in March 2020, the National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF), being the lead institution and financial intermediary, mandated enhancing resilience of the country against disasters, extended grant financing worth $50 million to the Government of Pakistan with an objective to minimise the impact of the pandemic. The provisions were made through strict compliances, strenuous project appraisal along with transparent fund disbursement mechanism. The pandemic’s outbreak warranted high level of preparedness along with strengthening the health system of the country for which NDRMF extended immediate support for provision of most essential health and diagnostic medical equipment for infection prevention and control of Covid-19 pandemic. These timely provisions of the most needed requirementssupported in capacitating the government to act swiftly to control the pandemic resulting in making Pakistan one of the most effective countries to respond to the pandemic’s outbreak.