KARACHI: State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Friday increased the refinancing limits for hospitals and medical centers in the background of rising cases of COVID-19 in the country and with the need to strengthen health sector in fight against COVID-19.
The central bank enhanced financing limit of a single hospital/ medical center under its Refinance Facility for Combating COVID -19 (RFCC) from Rs. 200 million to Rs. 500 million.
RFCC is an emergency funding facility to support hospitals/medical centers to develop their capacities for treatment of infected patients of COVID-19.
The financing under this facility is being made available by State Bank at zero percent to banks that can charge a maximum rate of 3 percent per annum to hospitals/medical centers.
State Bank has been continuously improving features of this Facility to ensure timely financial support to hospitals/medical centers engaged in combating COVID-19.
So far, financing of Rs. 2.2 billion for 11 hospitals/medical centers has been approved whereas financing requests of Rs 3.6 billion for 23 hospitals/medical centers are being processed by the banks.
With today’s enhancement of financing limit, it is expected that large scale facilities will be created for treating COVID-19 patients by using subsidized funding being extended under this facility.