islamabad -  Chances for the poor to access healthcare have further shrunk as government hospitals are unable to pay for their treatment from Zakat fund, which has not been released to them for the last 8 months.

At Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), the administration has to disappoint the patients seeking healthcare through Zakat fund, as they have no amounts received under the head.

Sakeena Bibi, a middle-aged woman, is cardiac and diabetic patient. Resident of Bara Kahu, capital’s rural neighbourhood, was returned empty handed from medicine counter of the hospital. She was told that medicines on Zakat form were not available because the hospital had not received the funds yet. “I am getting this answer from the hospital administration for the last two months and I am compelled to purchase medicines from my own pocket,” she said.

With disappointment in her silent eyes, she walked out of the outdoor patient department (OPD) murmuring that there was no place for the poor in this world.

Zakat fund is provided to the hospital for the underprivileged people of the area to get healthcare facilities for major diseases including hepatitis, cancer, diabetes, cardiac and others, free of cost.

An official informed The Nation that registration of a patient as deserving for treatment under Zakat fund was already a hard task. A deserving candidate has to fill a lengthy form regarding his or her particulars which has to be attested from local councillor and other civil administration departments, he said. The official said that later the particulars are verified from Bait-ul-Mal before a patient is empanelled for healthcare at PIMS under Zakat fund.

The record of patients registered for Zakat fund are looked after by the social welfare department of the hospital. The department has shut its door for months now, ceasing issuing Zakat tokens, and the staff members are unaware when they would start issuing the slips again.

“Daily, hundreds of patients come and ask about the Zakat slips but we have no option but to return them,” said Shubhan Ahmed, a staff member of the hospital’s social welfare department. He said that Bait-ul-Mal fund was available but the Zakat fund had not been released since July.

An official informed The Nation that the available Zakat fund was not very huge already. The official said that the PIMS usually received Rs20 million in Zakat fund and Rs150 million from Bait-ul-Mal for treatment of the poor patients.

According to the official, a patient registered for treatment under the Zakat fund, was entitled for Rs4,000 for indoor treatment and Rs2,000 for the OPD. But due to influx of patients, everyone is not given the required quantity of medicines, he revealed. “The hospital has to cut quantity of medicine to avoid shortage and be able to accommodate maximum number of patients,” added the official.

The official said that patients suffering from major diseases require medicines for a couple of weeks at least, but actually getting drugs for a few days only. “Resultantly, monetary burden is shifted on the patients as they are directed to purchase the medicine from the market,” said the official.

Spokesperson PIMS Dr Waseem Khawaja confirmed that government had not released Zakat fund to the social welfare department since July. However, he said that a large number of the deserving patients were being provided treatment through Bait-ul-Mal.

Dr Waseem said that though non-availability of Zakat fund had increased difficulties for the patients but the hospital administration was providing emergency treatment to the poor patients from Bait-ul-Mal fund.