Funding Challenges Impact Medicine Supplies at Major Rawalpindi Hospitals
Three major public hospitals in Rawalpindi are facing challenges in maintaining medicine supplies due to outstanding payments owed to pharmaceutical vendors, according to recent reports.
The situation has raised concerns about the continued provision of free medicines under the Punjab government’s healthcare program, which offers medications to patients in emergency departments, outpatient clinics, and hospital wards.
Hospital administrations have indicated that delayed and limited funding releases are affecting procurement processes, making it increasingly difficult to maintain consistent supplies of medicines, disposable medical products, and medical gases.
During the final week of May, the provincial government released Rs60 million to Holy Family Hospital, Rs50 million to Benazir Bhutto General Hospital, and Rs20 million to Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital. However, officials say these amounts cover only a portion of the hospitals’ financial obligations.
According to available figures, Holy Family Hospital has outstanding dues of approximately Rs900 million, while Benazir Bhutto General Hospital has liabilities of around Rs850 million. Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital’s pending payments are reported at Rs270 million.
For the 2025-26 financial year, Holy Family Hospital requested Rs1.5 billion for medicines and related supplies and received Rs400 million. Benazir Bhutto General Hospital requested the same amount and was allocated Rs380 million, while Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital received Rs230 million against a request of Rs800 million.
The three hospitals collectively serve more than 10,000 patients daily through emergency and outpatient services, placing significant demand on healthcare resources. Their combined bed capacity of 2,580 reflects the scale of services provided to the region.
Officials noted that these facilities cater not only to residents of Rawalpindi but also to patients from Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, increasing the overall demand for medical services.
Healthcare administrators have emphasized the importance of addressing funding gaps to help ensure the continued availability of medicines and maintain healthcare services for patients across the region.
