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IHH Healthcare, a leading multinational healthcare network, has secured an SGD 250 million sustainability-linked loan (SLL) from DBS, a leading financial services group in Asia.
The facility includes key performance indicators including a key metric promoting responsible antibiotic use across IHH’s four hospitals in Singapore: Mount Elizabeth, Mount Elizabeth Novena, Gleneagles and Parkway East. This is the first known use case in which sustainable financing has been linked to strengthening antibiotic stewardship.
Responsible use of antibiotics is a key line of defense against the rise of drug-resistant bacterial infections caused by overuse or misuse of antibiotics. These infections are harder to treat, place additional strain on healthcare systems and pose a growing threat to ageing populations worldwide.
As part of this effort, IHH is strengthening the tracking of antibiotic “time-outs” – follow-up reviews within 72 hours of starting treatment to assess whether antibiotics should be continued or adjusted.
The initiative also supports Singapore’s National Strategic Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance.
