RAWALPINDI, Nov 18: The offices of the board of governors and the principal executive officer (PEO) of autonomous hospitals will cost Rs4.7 million in the remaining current fiscal year, sources said here on Monday.

The hospitals, it has been learnt, have not been provided any additional grant for this expenditure and will be meeting it from their existing resources with which they are not even able to provide medicines to the poor patients.

Giving the breakdown of this expenditure, the sources said Rs1.5 million had been allocated for the BoG, which would be used for paying their allowances, meeting the cost of stationery and purchasing office items.

The office of principal executive officer has been projected to be spending Rs3.2 million. This allocation would cover the cost of utility bills, payment of salaries of the office staff and procurement of certain durable goods.

As many as 21 vacancies have been created in the office of the PEO for which recruitment is already underway. These vacancies mostly include support staff like lady secretary, drivers, clerks, peons, a receptionist and accounts people.

The office of the preceding PEO (then chief executive) did not have this much staff and such a massive budget. The sources said this amount of Rs3.2 million was over and above the expenditure of the former chief executive, who had relinquished his charge a couple of months ago.

The total annual budget of the three autonomous hospitals and Rawalpindi Medical College is Rs370 million. The PEO and BoG appointed a few months ago had been assigned the task of generating finances for the hospitals through philanthropist donations and starting hospital-based private practice, none of which had so far been done.

PEO Dr Majid Rajput, when asked for his comments, accepted that the hospitals were faced with a serious financial crunch. He said he was managing to keep the hospitals afloat under trying circumstances through internal efficiency and blocking leakages.

Many, including some of the BoG members, however, are finding the situation exasperating. In an internal memorandum signed by two of the three non-official members, circulated a couple of weeks ago, indicated the frustration.