Projects

Project Information

Rural Health Project

Country and Location

Viet Nam

Borrower

Socialist of Republic of Viet Nam

Project Description

The Project will focus on providing primary and preventive health care to the poor and disadvantaged, including ethnic minorities, women and children, in the rural areas of 13 provinces of Viet Nam. It will improve access to quality health services by upgrading health centers in rural areas and enhancing the skills of health care service providers. The Project will strengthen demand for health services through targeted information, education and communication activities, improved community participation and more equitable health financing. In particular, the Project will support the Government's scheme to provide free health cards to the poor. The Project will also support preventive health care by strengthening food safety infrastructure and behavior change communication (BCC) centering on human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), prevention of injuries and accidents, tobacco use, malnutrition and reproductive health.

Total Project Cost

The total project cost of the project is estimated at $98.7 million equivalent. Of this amount, $26.7 million equivalent, or 27 percent of the total cost, is the foreign exchange cost, and $72 million equivalent, or 73 percent of the total cost, is the local cost.

Loan Amount

A loan of $68.3 million equivalent will be provided from the ADB's Special Funds resources, with a term of 32 years, including a grace period of 8 years and interest charge of 1 percent per annum during the grace period and 1.5 percent per annum thereafter. The project will be cofinanced with the United Nations Population Fund ($0.5 million), United Nations Children's Fund ($1 million), and World Health Organization ($0.3 million) on a parallel basis.

Executing Agency

Ministry of Health

Procurement

All ADB financed procurement for the Project will be in accordance with the ADB's Guidelines for Procurement. Since civil works under the Project are scattered through out the country and not likely to attract the interest of international contractors, civil work contracts will be awarded on the basis of local competitive bidding (LCB) procedures. Contracts for the supply of materials, equipment, and medical supplies in packages valued at $500,000 or more will be procured through international bidding; contracts valued less than $500,000 will be procured through international shopping. Some medical equipment (e.g. hospital beds, delivery beds and table) that is locally produced and is unlikely to attract foreign suppliers will be procured through local competitive bidding. Minor items or packages costing $100,000 or less will be procured under direct purchase procedures in accordance with the Government rules acceptable to the Bank.

Consultants

One international (8 person months) and 98 domestic consultants (522 person months) will be recruited in accordance with ADB's Guidelines on the Use of Consultants and other arrangements satisfactory to ADB on the engagement of domestic consultants.

Estimated Date of Completion

30 June 2006