Cost cutting: Polyclinic budget slashed 30%

No allocation for hospital’s expansion, admin to write to CADD.

ISLAMABAD:

If the Polyclinic Hospital, the capital’s second largest healthcare facility, had hoped its financial woes would be addressed in the new fiscal year, it was in for a big disappointment.

The government has allocated only Rs1.2 billion for the financial year 2013-14, which is even less than half the amount requested by the administration to meet the hospital’s recurring expenditures. The budget does not include the amount for the much-delayed hospital expansion project which was estimated at Rs55.321 million and has disappointed the hospital management the most.

According to budget documents available with The Express Tribune, the Polyclinic Hospital estimated its expenditure for 2013-14 at Rs2.4 billion but the federal government has allocated Rs1.2 billion after a 30% cut in the budget requested.

“The hospital is already facing a financial crunch and this year’s low budget allocation will worsen the situation,” said a senior administration official at Polyclinic hospital who wished not to be named. “Day by day, the number of patients is increasing, coupled with increasing inflation it will become very difficult to provide quality healthcare services with such a meagre amount.”

The hospital administration will write to the Ministry of Capital Administration and Development to reverse the 30% cut in its budget, said the official. Another letter will be written to the Planning Commission of Pakistan to release the amount for the hospital’s extension, he added.



According to the budget documents Rs698 million were demanded for purchasing drugs, but the amount allocated is Rs508 million, a deficit of Rs190 million. “A patient cannot be treated without medicines and in the past few months there has been a significant increase in prices making it difficult for the hospital administration to cater to patients,” said the official.

The hospital is also facing a severe shortage of ambulances as there are only 27, whereas 40 are required. The hospital demanded Rs30 million for the purchase of new ambulances but it has been allocated only Rs1,000. Most of the machinery is out of order or there is a shortage considering the patient load, to overcome which the hospital demanded Rs50 million. It has been allocated Rs2,500,000.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Polyclinic hospital spokesman Dr Sharif Astori said there should be no compromise on the budget allocation for hospitals as even a slight deficit affects patients. “Every day over 7,000 patient visits the out-patient department and more than 545 are admitted; if the budget is cut we cannot maintain the balance between supply and demand and ultimately patients will suffer,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3^rd, 2013.