Six big Pakistan hospitals face 'shutdown' after fund request denied: Report

In a significant setback, all five public sector hospitals in Islamabad, along with Lahore’s Shaikh Zayed Hospital, are on the brink of a virtual standstill as the Finance Division rejected a plea from the federal health ministry for an additional Rs 11 billion to sustain their operations, according to Dawn report. The Finance Division’s refusal has already led to the suspension of salaries for several employees, sparking protests by nurses at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) that have persisted for over a week, added the report. The repercussions of the funding shortfall are far-reaching, with laboratory operations in these hospitals expected to grind to a halt as testing kits dwindle. Radiology tests are being declined due to the unavailability of films, and patients are being denied essential medicines as companies await payment from delayed tenders. The affected healthcare facilities include five hospitals in the federal capital, such as Pims, Polyclinic, Federal General Hospital, National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM), as well as dispensaries, basic health units, and ancillary departments of the health ministry and institutes. Shaikh Zayed Hospital in Lahore, reliant on funding from the federal health ministry, is also bracing for the impact of the financial squeeze. The Finance Division, citing International Monetary Fund (IMF) preconditions, has communicated in writing to the health ministry that funds can only be released in the event of a disaster. Last month, the health ministry sought a supplementary grant of Rs 11.096 billion from the finance ministry to ensure the smooth functioning of hospitals, organisations, and ancillary departments. According to a letter from the Finance Division, “No supplementary grant for any additional unbudgeted spending over the parliamentary approved level in FY 2023-24 may be allowed until the formation of the new Government (except if needed to respond to severe national disaster).” Insiders suggest that this rejection by the Finance Division may lead to a looming disaster in hospitals under the federal ministry, leaving patients without access to even basic medical supplies. A hospital source revealed concerns about an impending shortage of medicines, owing to the inability to pay for tenders and release pending stocks. “We currently foresee a severe shortage of medicines as we don’t have the amount to pay for the tenders and get the pending stocks released. Moreover, there is also a severe shortage of testing kits in labs, and X-ray films and other radiology tests are also in short supply,” Dawn quoted a hospital source as saying. With doctors, nurses, and other staff either not receiving their salaries or facing potential salary stoppages in the coming month due to the fund shortage, the situation is expected to worsen, potentially leading to a severe deficit in healthcare professionals, medications, and essential testing facilities. Despite attempts to reach out to the Ministry of National Health Services, officials could not be reached for comment at the time of reporting. With inputs from agencies