World Bank Approves USD 100 Million Loan to Serbia for Quick Testing of Travelers and Construction of Two New Regional Labs

Two walk-in and up to ten drive-through testing points for COVID-19 will be established in Serbia and the country’s testing capacity will be increased from 7,000 to at least 9,000 tests a day thanks to the new USD 100 million loan from the World Bank, approved today, the bank announced.

This financing, the bank says, aims at assisting the country to prevent, detect and respond to the COVID -19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.

The walk-in testing points will be at the two main airports – in Belgrade and Nis, while up to ten drive-through testing points will be at border crossings.

In addition, two further regional laboratories will be established – one at the Clinical Centre of Vojvodina in Novi Sad and one at the Clinical Centre in Kragujevac—with a capacity of 1,000 samples daily, increasing Serbia’s total SARS-CoV-2 testing capacity to about 130 tests per 100,000 population per day.

The World Bank will also support Serbia in procuring additional protective gear, in integrating laboratories testing for COVID-19 into one electronic reporting system and strengthening the diagnostic imaging capacity as well as intensive care and isolation units.

– Serbia’s success in bending the curve of its first wave of COVID-19 shouldn’t lead to complacency in strengthening its preparedness for subsequent waves. Boosting testing capacity, while strengthening capacity to diagnose COVID-19, intensive care units, and the e-reporting system for COVID-19 will give the Government of Serbia the capability to adjust infection control measures on the basis of lessons learned – says Stephen Ndegwa, World Bank Country Manager for Serbia.

Klinički centar Vojvodine

Klinički centar Kragujevac

Svetska Banka-WB Beograd

Stephen Ndegwa

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