Support COVID-19 Hospital and Case Management in Logar Province CAF has the honor to propose re-functionalizing of the COVID-19 hospital in the Pul-i-Alam city of Logar province under the 1st Reserve Allocation 2022. The hospital will work in the Kunjak compound to respond to and manage cases effectively. As of Mar 22, 2022, a total of 177,255 positive cases of coronavirus were recorded in the country, from which 7,656 patients died and 160,330 patients recovered (Worldometer, 2022). Considering the possibility of a new type (Omicron) of COVID-19, the current proposal is submitted to revive the Logar COVID-19 hospital for eight months.
The proposed hospital with a minimum of 20 beds will respond to the COVID-19 cases by managing the cases in OPD and IPD. Also, the hospital will provide the COVID-19 vaccination program for the eligible target group. The project will cover the entire population of Logar, including returnees, IDPs, and Kuchies, but the specific beneficiaries are patients with basic symptoms of COVID-19, people at-risk including, medical and emergency personnel, service providers (both public and private), and testing facilities staff. The hospital will act as the primary center for COVID-19 patients who need intensive care at the provincial level. All other HFs in the province, including the Konjak ICU ward, will refer suspected patients to the COVID-19 hospital for diagnosis, testing, managing, and hospitalization. One of the main objectives of the COVID-19 hospital is to reduce the overload of suspect patients from other BPHS-EPHS facilities and Konjak ICU ward and isolate the cases in one place to prevent further spread of disease and control them under comprehensive care services. As one of the essential activities in the emergency ward of the hospital, we will consider an outdoor triage center in the hospital where the clients are screened before they reach the OPD or other hospital departments. The triage staff uses a color-coding approach to identify mild, moderate, and severe SARI cases and refer them to the designated place of the hospital.
CAF will keep equipped the hospital with the required equipment, medical supply, staffing, and other necessary logistical needs as per the MOPH-approved guide for COVID-19 hospital. Our qualified and expert team, including the key project and CAF central office staff, will conduct regular supportive supervision and monitor the activities/interventions in the provinces. The team will work based on the emergency monitoring framework to ensure key indicators are improved to achieve the expected results and the project objective during the set timeframe. Thus, CAF uses developed monitoring checklists based on the project monitoring indicators, targets, and the agreed work plan. 
CAF builds and maintains close coordination with the public health directorate of the province. Also, as the BPHS and EPHS implementer, CAF ensures a coordinated action to deliver COVID-19 services. As a cross-cutting matter in this assignment, CAF will consider the minimum gender marker code within the proposed projects. We will ensure that gender equality and gender awareness activities are mainstreamed within the scope of the project. Accordingly, women, men, boys, and girls of all ages including people with disability will benefit equally from the proposed interventions. A total of 8400 individuals in the host communities of Logar province will directly benefit from the project. This figure consists of 4284 males and 4116 females over 18-year-old. One of the project's sustainability aspects is the capacity building of the local staff on health interventions within the province. Increased knowledge of the community on how to prevent the COVID-19 and where to approach if they see any signs or symptoms of the disease, is also a sustainability aspect of the project from the community perspective. In consultation with the Health Cluster, CAF will consider re-programming for the available balance of the project if World Bank re-supports COVID-19 hospital.