ISLAMABAD, Jan 22: The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) has sought an immediate one-time grant from the government to pay back its whopping Rs100 million debts, an official source told Dawn.

The Pims management, through an SOS message to the health ministry, has assured the government that if the assistance was provided, it would regulate its affairs and adopt strict financial discipline.

Taking stock of the situation, the health ministry has forwarded the request to the finance ministry with a recommendation that every possible help should be given to take the institution out of the financial crisis.

The source observed that he was not optimistic that demand would be met urgently as the government treasury was already in a bad shape.

But, he was sure that the health ministry would review the request in May and help the institution by transferring some of the savings of its attached departments.

Out of the whopping debt of Rs100 million, Pims has to pay Rs65 million in utility arrears and Rs35 million under the heads of medicines and drugs.

Despite an increase of Rs5 million in its budgetary allocation, Pims could not get itself rid of the debt.

The Pims management believe that the allocated budget of Rs325 million was insufficient as 60 to 70 per cent was spent under the fixed cost (utility bills, salaries and maintenance) leaving a paltry amount for running of the hospital.

The management has informed the health ministry that it was not easy to meet the ever-increasing expenses, due to the hike in drug prices, the recent addition of mother and child hospital (MCH), which had enhanced the electricity bill to Rs5 million, monthly.

This was not the first request for financial aid by Pims.

The premier institute of the country had asked the government to allocate Rs600 million for the year 2001-2002 to overcome the financial crisis.