Sans federal funds: LRH runs out of funds for free treatment

Hospital’s focal person says cash inflow was expected on July 1, 2015

PESHAWAR:

Patients with cardiac disease, diabetes and hepatitis have been facing countless problems after Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) fell short of funds to provide them free medication.

Officials privy to the development told The Express Tribune, the problem surfaced after the federal government failed to allocate grant-in-aid for the facility during fiscal year 2015-16. As a result, LRH lacks adequate funds to provide free medication.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, LRH focal person Jamil Shah said the federal government had issued Rs770 million during FY 2014-15. He added the grant-in-aid for FY 2015-16 was expected to be released by July 1, 2015. However, the federal government has yet to release the amount. According to Shah, the amount was set aside for patients suffering from cardiac problems, diabetes and hepatitis.

“The federal government has not released a single penny for the fiscal year 2015-16 and the LRH administration has been offering the services on its own,” he said.

Shah added the LRH administration has spent Rs783 million on the three diseases and cannot afford to allocate more money towards providing free medication.

In K-P’s FY 2015-16 budget, the grant-in-aid for LRH was increased by 9.18%. The budget estimate increased from Rs1,762.998 million to Rs1,924.97 million.

A matter of expenses

When contacted, Professor Dr Adnan Gull, head of cardiology at LRH, said Rs300 million is spent on angiography and angioplasty every year. “At least 6,000 patients were registered for angiography and 5,000 patients were being checked every month,” he said.

According to Gull, finances have not been issued since June 2015 and all expenses were met from the money generated by the hospital.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 6^th, 2016.