World Bank approves $100 million loan to Serbia for 12 testing stations and 2 laboratories

Photo: Tanjug/AP

The World Bank has approved a loan of 100 million dollars to Serbia, which will finance the installation of up to 12 stations for fast testing of passengers entering our country, and two new regional laboratories.

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According to the World Bank, the capacity of coronavirus testing in Serbia will increase from 7,000 to more than 9,000 a day, and the goal of the loan is to help Serbia prevent, detect and react to the pandemic in a timely manner.

Testing stations will be set up at Belgrade and Nis airports, while up to 10 border crossings will be also be selected for installation.

In addition, two new regional laboratories will be built - in the Clinical Center of Vojvodina, in Novi Sad, and in the Clinical Center in Kragujevac. They will be able to process 1,000 samples a day, or about 130 tests a day per 100,000 inhabitants.

The World Bank will also help Serbia procure additional protective equipment, network laboratories that test for Covid-19 into one electronic system, as well as strengthen diagnostics, intensive care and isolation units.

"Increasing the capacity for testing and diagnosing the virus, with better intensive care units and electronic monitoring system for testing for Covid-19 will enable the Government of Serbia to adapt infection control measures to previous experience," said Stephen Ndegwa, head of the World Bank office in Serbia.

(Telegraf Biznis/Tanjug)