BBH struggles with drug shortage

RAWALPINDI:

Benazir Bhutto General Hospital, facing an extraordinary patient burden, is grappling with a shortage of medicines due to an insufficient budget and outstanding dues to vendors.

The hospital has Rs330 million in pending payments to medicine vendors, while only Rs380 million has been released as the medicine budget for the current fiscal year. If the outstanding Rs330 million is paid from the allocated amount, only Rs50 million would remain for fresh procurement.

Sources said that during the previous fiscal year 2025-26, the hospital was allocated Rs400 million for medicines, but expenditures reached Rs800 million. Of the Rs400 million outstanding, Rs70 million was paid from another head, leaving Rs330 million unpaid.

For the current fiscal year 2026-27, the hospital demanded Rs1.25 billion for medicines, but the Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department released only Rs380 million.

After clearing dues, the hospital would still require between Rs800 million and Rs1 billion to ensure adequate supply for indoor, emergency and OPD patients.

The hospital's medical coverage area includes Rawalpindi Division, Azad Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad.