West Bank and Gaza COVID-19 Emergency Response

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The proposed emergency operation includes three components to support immediate response to the threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthen West Bank and Gaza’s health systems for public health preparedness. This operation will provide funding also for streamlined and harmonized support to the MOH complementing and exploiting synergies with other development partners’ support. The activities to be funded under the Project will help to operationalize some elements that are part of the inter-agency plan, complementing, expanding and intensifying the responses rapidly. They will consist of a group of interventions based on the country’s epidemiological and institutional needs and assessed options for meeting them. Given the evolution of the pandemic and the changing landscape, the Bank will review the procurement plans to ensure efficiency and alignment with the National Response to the pandemic and support from other donorsComponent 1: Emergency COVID-19 Response (US$ 2.1 million), this component will provide for immediate support to (i) strengthen epidemiological surveillance system for case detection, confirmation, recording and reporting, as well as contact tracing and risk assessment and mitigation, (ii) develop standard guidelines for sample collection methods, channeling and transportation, determining sites in need for introduction of point of care diagnostics, (iii) procurement of essential equipment and consumables for laboratory and diagnostic systems, such as Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machines, sample collection kits, test kits, and other equipment and supplies for COVID-19 testing and surveillance (including Personal Protective Equipment for surveillance workers) to ensure prompt case finding and local containment.Component 2: Strengthening Overall Healthcare Services and Clinical Capacity to Respond to COVID-19 (US$ 2.1 million), this component will strengthen essential healthcare service delivery given surge in demand. The component will support the strengthening of selected health facilities and establishment and equipping of quarantine and treatment centers, so that they can manage COVID-19 cases. This would include (i) minor civil works and retrofitting of isolation rooms in the facilities and treatment centers, (ii) training of health personnel on treatment guidelines, and hospital infection control interventions, (iii) procurement of essential inputs for treatment such as ventilators, pulse oximeters, laryngoscopes, oxygen generators, and other equipment/supplies for COVID-19 case management, as well as medicines (to avoid stock-outs particularly in Gaza) and vaccines (when they become available), (iv) procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), disinfectants and other commodities for infection prevention and control, (v) investments needed to ensure continuity of clinical care, including safe access to waste management, electricity, safe water and sanitation for hospitals, (vi) hiring medical and non-medical short-term consultants to respond to a surge in demand for services due to the COVID-19 epidemic in selected hospitals. Component 3: This component will finance necessary human resources and running costs for the Project Management Unit at the MOH (MOH PMU), including: (i) staffing, (ii) data collection, aggregation and periodic reporting on the project’s implementation progress; (iii) monitoring of the project’s key performance indicators and periodical evaluation; and (iv) overall project operating costs, audit costs and monitoring and compliance with Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP). Currently the MOH PMU has two full-time staff (Procurement Specialist, Financial Management Specialist) and a part-time Health Specialist. The PMU will be further strengthened by hiring a Health and Safety Specialist to oversee the project activities. In case additional staff is needed, particularly in the first months for speedy and effective project management, additional short term consultants for the PMU may be hired under this component. In addition, this component will finance the financial and technical audits related to the project.