DG Khan – Over 100 people have been confirmed to have HIB in Taunsa area of Dera Ghazi Khan District of Punjab during last three months.
Dera Ghazi Khan Deputy Commissioner Usman Khalid said that only one case of HIV was registered in Taunsa in December 2024. After the screening process was initiated, it was discovered that more than 100 people are affected by HIV.
The DC mentioned that the majority of those affected are children. However, an investigative committee has been formed to determine the cause of the spread.
Last year in November, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz suspended the Medical Superintendent (MS) along with doctors and the head nurse after reports of HIV spreading during dialysis at Nishtar Hospital, Multan.
The chief minister visited the hospital and directed the relevant authorities for compensation payments to the patients affected by HIV due to medical negligence.
The suspended individuals include Dr. Muhammad Kazim, Dr. Ghulam Abbas, Dr. Poonam Khalid, Dr. Muhammad Qadeer, Dr. Maliha Johar, Dr. Muhammad Alamgir and head nurse Naheed Parveen.
The chief minister instructed the Secretary of Health to submit a detailed report on the matter.
During a briefing, CM Maryam was informed about violations of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for mandatory quarterly testing for HIV and hepatitis. It was revealed that the tests were conducted through private laboratories instead of following protocols.
Despite confirmed cases of HIV, doctors and staff attempted to cover up the incident.
It was also disclosed that disposable dialysis kits and dialyzers were reused on multiple patients and senior doctors including the head of the department failed to visit the ward for weeks.
The Chief Minister condemned the negligence, stating, “Criminal carelessness led to the spread of HIV. Despite allocating all resources for healthcare, such outcomes are unacceptable. It is intolerable for patients seeking treatment at public hospitals to contract diseases like HIV,”.
So far, the transmission of HIV to 25 patients from the dialysis unit has been confirmed.
A few days ago, an HIV-positive patient underwent dialysis at the Nishtar Hospital unit. The same machine was subsequently used for other patients which led to the virus spread among them.
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