The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a financing package of up to $8.39 million with Nephrocare Health Services Central Asia LLC (Hyderabad-based NephroPlus) to establish four dialysis centres as part of a public–private partnership (PPP) arrangement to enhance healthcare service delivery in Uzbekistan.

The transaction represents ADB’s first financing of private healthcare in Uzbekistan and supports the country’s first international healthcare PPP. 

The financing comprises a loan of up to $5.03 million from ADB’s ordinary capital resources and administration by ADB of a loan of up to $3.36 million from the Leading Asia’s Private Infrastructure Fund (LEAP).

The funds will primarily be used by NephroPlus to design, build, operate and maintain the dialysis centres in Tashkent city, the Republic of Karakalpakstan, and the Khorezm region as part of a PPP arrangement with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The dialysis centre in Tashkent will have 160 dialysis machines, making it one of the world’s largest dialysis centres.  

ADB will also support NephroPlus to develop and implement a gender action plan to increase women’s participation in technical and skilled work in the dialysis treatment centres through specific training, and to enhance gender equality measures in its workplaces. NephroPlus also aims to ensure women make up half of the personnel trained to use dialysis machines and to conduct dialysis treatment.