Hoy newspaper reports that the government is two months behind in its payment of subsidies to public hospitals. Of the 150 public hospitals nationwide, the newspaper mentions several leading hospitals in Santo Domingo, including the Hospital Padre Bilini, Psychiatric Center Padre Billini, Luis Eduardo Aybar, Francisco Moscoso Puello, San Lorenzo de los Minas and even La Altagracia Maternity Hospital, at which institutions the payments are late in coming. The arrears in funding cause substantial problems, because suppliers have already cut the hospitals? credit. The administrators say the situation is now critical as there is a shortage of cleaning materials, food for patients, supplies and essential pharmaceuticals. Patients are being required to pay for the services to meet the deficiencies in the state allotments.