Pharma firms stop medicine supply to LRH

Hospital fails to pay Rs600m to companies

PESHAWAR:

The Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar - the largest healthcare facility of its kind in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa - has failed to pay Rs600 million in debt to pharmaceutical companies, resulting in the latter suspending the supply of all kinds of medicine.

Due to the financial crisis of the hospital, the local purchase of medicines has also been affected. As a result, it is impossible to medicate critically ill patients who come to the emergency department.

Due to the shortage of medicines and other essentials, patients have been forced to buy the needful from the open market before minor or major surgeries.

Official sources tell The Express Tribune that the financial crisis has left LRH, the largest teaching hospital in the province, in dire straits.

They say that out of the regular allocated annual budget of Rs7 billion, the government has been releasing Rs550 million in monthly installments, which is insufficient to meet all requirements. Most of the mentioned funds are spent on the salaries of the employees, while the rest is used up for electricity and other utility charges, amounting to Rs110 million.

Currently, LRH has to pay Rs600 million to pharma companies who have also stopped supplying medicines on credit to the hospital.

Sources said that LRH is currently the largest hospital providing treatment on Sehat Insaf Card (health cards) and has spent Rs1 billion on free treatment under the scheme. The insurance company has not yet fully paid the full Rs1 billion, and the hospital has so far received Rs700 million.

Official sources confirmed that the K-P government has not released funds to the insurance company, which in turn has failed to pay LRH its dues, thus creating a host of problems.

Aside from being the largest hospital of the province with more than 1,700 beds, the medical facility has the unique honor of treating the most number of patients injured during blasts and other emergencies created by the war on terror.

Apart from these emergencies, 3,000 patients are being brought to the hospital's emergency ward on a daily basis and being provided treatment.

By the same token, 3,000 patients also visit the OPD, but now the hospital is faced with a severe shortage of funds and this has put patients' lives at stake.

According to one estimate, LRH needs Rs900 million per month to operate swiftly and improve the system of purchasing medicines. Officials said that the hospital got sufficient funds during the initial tenure of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), but has since been hit hard by the lack of adequate funding.

According to the sources, the repair of various damaged equipment and machinery in the hospital has been pending due to the lack of funds. Doctors, especially surgeons, are very disappointed by the situation.

In the recent past, many specialist doctors have left the hospital owing to the financial crisis, and the growing frustration has only caused that number to increase.

On the other hand, K-P Health Minister, Syed Qasim Ali Shah said that MTI Hospital is independent and they should meet the expenses from their own resources. Hospitals also get income from slips and private OPDs. He said that any hospital short of funds, including LRH, will be supported.

Corruption is also rampant at the medical facility as proven by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Anti-Corruption Circle Peshawar arresting six suspects, including three LRH employees, for their involvement in the embezzlement of government medicines worth millions of rupees.