In a crippling blow to the healthcare sector, all five public sector hospitals in the federal capital, along with Lahore’s Shaikh Zayed Hospital, face a looming crisis as the Finance Division rejects a plea for a supplementary Rs11 billion. This rejection, based on conditions tied to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreement, threatens to bring these vital medical facilities to a virtual standstill.
The Finance Division’s refusal has already resulted in the cessation of salaries for numerous hospital employees, prompting a week-long protest by nurses at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims). As a consequence, laboratories across these hospitals are on the brink of complete shutdown due to dwindling testing kit supplies. Radiology tests are being denied because of a shortage of films, and patients are being denied crucial medications as tender payments to suppliers remain unpaid.
The affected hospitals and departments include Pims, Polyclinic, Federal General Hospital, National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM), as well as various dispensaries, basic health units, and ancillary departments of the health ministry. Shaikh Zayed Hospital Lahore, dependent on federal health ministry funding, is also poised to experience severe repercussions.
The Finance Division, responding to the health ministry’s request for a supplementary grant, cited IMF preconditions, stating that funds can only be released in the case of a severe national disaster. The Finance Division’s letter emphasized their commitment to not allowing supplementary grants for unbudgeted spending until the formation of a new government, except in cases of a national disaster.
Insiders reveal that the Finance Division’s decision is expected to trigger a virtual disaster within these hospitals, leaving patients without access to essential medicines. Hospitals are grappling with impending shortages of medicines, testing kits, and critical radiology supplies due to the inability to pay outstanding tenders.
A hospital source expressed concerns about a potential escalation, warning of an imminent shortage of doctors, nursing staff, medicines, and test facilities, even in emergency departments. The dire situation raises questions about the definition of a disaster, as healthcare services hang in the balance.
Dawn attempted to seek comments from the Ministry of National Health Services, but officials were unavailable for a response at the time of reporting. The fate of these hospitals and the well-being of patients now rest on urgent and strategic intervention to address the financial crisis gripping the healthcare system.
