Free medicines might not be accessible to patients in three government hospitals in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, as the Health Department has not released requested funds, local media revealed. Holy Family Hospital’s Satellite Town highlighted that the Punjab government has not disbursed the requested amount, as reported by Dawn. The hospitals, including Holy Family Hospital (HFH) Satellite Town, Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) Murree Road, and Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital (RTC) Raja Bazaar, had asked for a budget of PKR 4.5 billion for the fiscal year 2025-26. However, only PKR 2.5 billion was released by the Punjab government, with a promise of the remaining PKR 2 billion in May 2026, which has not been fulfilled yet.
Vendors have declined to supply more medicines as they have not been paid due to the delayed funds. HFH, BBH, and RTC managed to purchase medicines until June 30, but they lack funds to pay distributors and vendors for additional supplies. Without the release of funds, distributors are unlikely to provide medicines for the upcoming month. The hospitals had requested specific amounts for medicine procurement, but the government allocated significantly less than requested, leading to a potential shortage of free medicines for patients in the near future.
The situation is expected to worsen as hospitals may be unable to offer free medicines to patients in the coming days. The Punjab government had instructed hospitals to provide free medicines to all patients, including those in outdoor, indoor, emergency, and admitted departments. However, the insufficient funds are likely to impact the free medicine program, potentially drawing criticism towards the government and hospital administration for the lack of adequate support.
