NICH drugs shortage: Innocent lives at stake amid administrative negligence

KARACHI: A silent crisis is unfolding at the National Institute of Child Health (NICH), where an acute shortage of life-saving medicines is forcing parents to purchase essential drugs from private stores, leaving countless children vulnerable. Despite an annual budget of PKR 252.1 million allocated for medicines, critical supplies have been unavailable for six consecutive months, exposing the deep administrative failures within the hospital.
Since June, desperate families visiting NICH for treatment have been met with empty pharmacy shelves. Parents, many of whom come from underprivileged backgrounds, are spending beyond their means to buy life-saving drugs. The children—some battling life-threatening conditions—are bearing the brunt of these lapses, as delays in treatment escalate their suffering.

A crisis rooted in mismanagement
Sources reveal that the hospital administration failed to utilize its budget effectively, purchasing far fewer medicines than allocated. As a result, essential medicines have been unavailable since June, extending through November. Health authorities, despite being fully aware of the dire situation, have not taken action to rectify the issue, leaving families without support.
"This is heartbreaking," said a parent at NICH, whose child is battling a severe infection. "We come here for affordable treatment because we can’t afford private hospitals, yet even here, we’re forced to buy medicines from outside."

Systemic neglect across Sindh hospitals
This tragedy at NICH is not an isolated incident. As previously reported, Sindh’s public sector hospitals, including Dr. Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK), Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), and Civil Hospital Hyderabad, have been grappling with a severe shortage of cancer medicines. Thousands of cancer patients in critical stages have been left untreated due to administrative inertia.