Rawalpindi hospitals face Rs2.2bn medicine dues

Three government hospitals in Rawalpindi owe about Rs2.2 billion to medicine suppliers, raising concerns over free treatment. The facilities say allocations for 2025-26 fall well short of their requirements.

RAWALPINDI: Three major government hospitals in Rawalpindi have built up outstanding payments of around Rs2.2 billion to pharmaceutical suppliers, creating pressure on the continuation of free medicines for patients, according to a report.

The Punjab government released only Rs130 million for medicines near the close of the financial year, a move that left hospital administrations concerned despite the official policy of providing free medicines to patients in emergency departments, outpatient clinics and hospital wards.

In the last week of May, the provincial government released Rs60 million for Holy Family Hospital, Rs50 million for Benazir Bhutto General Hospital and Rs20 million for Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital. However, the hospitals’ unpaid bills to medicine suppliers remain far higher. Holy Family Hospital owes about Rs900 million, Benazir Bhutto General Hospital Rs850 million and Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital Rs270 million.

With liabilities at the three hospitals collectively standing at roughly Rs2.2 billion, vendors have become increasingly unwilling to keep supplying medicines, disposable medical items and medical gases on credit.

Allocations fell short of hospital requests

For the financial year 2025-26, Holy Family Hospital requested Rs1.5 billion for medicines, disposables and medical gases but was allocated Rs400 million. Benazir Bhutto General Hospital also sought Rs1.5 billion and received Rs380 million, while Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital at Fawara Chowk asked for Rs800 million and was allocated Rs230 million.

The funding gap has emerged as the Punjab government continues to maintain its policy of free medicines for patients receiving treatment in emergency units, outpatient departments and wards.

Heavy patient load adds to pressure

The three hospitals together treat more than 10,000 patients each day through their emergency departments and outpatient clinics. They also have a combined total of 2,580 beds in different wards, where space for fresh admissions is already described as extremely limited.

The burden on these facilities extends beyond Rawalpindi district. The hospitals serve patients from across Rawalpindi Division as well as Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, adding to pressure on already stretched healthcare resources.