Islamabad, April 22 (IANS). There is an alarming increase in the cases of hepatitis in Pakistan due to negligence and uncontrolled medical system. According to a report, the country has the highest number of hepatitis C (HCV) patients in the world, mainly due to the large number of quacks and unsafe medical practices.
According to the report, more than 6 lakh quacks are active in Pakistan, who practice without license and give priority to profits rather than the safety of patients. About 9.8 to 10 million cases of hepatitis C have been reported. At the same time, 13.8 to 15 million people, including Hepatitis-B (HBV), are believed to be infected with these viruses, out of which only 25-30 percent are aware of their disease.
According to an editorial published in Pakistan’s leading newspaper ‘The Express Tribune’, the country’s health system has reached such a state that sometimes even going for treatment becomes a risk for people. People who come to hospitals in search of affordable treatment unknowingly return with dangerous infections.
The report states that re-use of syringes, unsafe blood transfusion and improper cleaning of equipment are common, due to which the infection is spreading rapidly. Hepatitis C directly affects the liver and its symptoms appear after many years, by which time the patient’s liver has been seriously damaged.
Additionally, it is difficult for common people to access basic health services, making it difficult to expect regular check-ups and screenings.
The Pakistan government had set a target of eliminating hepatitis C by 2025 by 2050, but the report alleges that the government often identifies problems but then leaves them undone.
In the same context, a case of serious negligence has also come to light in the children’s ward in a government hospital located in Taunsa, Punjab province. An undercover investigation by BBC Eye Investigations found repeated breaches of basic infection control rules.
Investigation revealed that nurses were giving injections over clothes, dirty syringes were being reused and untrained staff were injecting children using contaminated medicines. Besides, serious lapses such as handling medical waste without safety and leaving equipment in the open were also observed.
According to BBC, at least 331 children were found to be infected with HIV in Taunsa between November 2024 and October 2025. The investigation also revealed that the rate of infection in his parents was very low, which further strengthens the possibility of the infection spreading in the hospital.
The report warns that if strict measures are not taken in time, this health crisis may take a more serious form.
–IANS
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