Karachi, July 15 (IANS). Two government hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan have trapped many innocent people in the trap of deadly HIV-positive. The lax attitude of the health department infected 120 one by one. So far 6 children have lost their lives and this has been confirmed by the provincial government.
Following the outbreak of HIV infection at Walika Hospital, run by Sindh Employees Social Security Society (SESSI), more than 10,500 people living around the hospital have been tested for HIV since October 2025, out of which 120 people have been confirmed infected.
In a press conference held in Karachi on Tuesday, Sindh Labor Minister Saeed Ghani said that a separate screening campaign was also conducted in another hospital of SESSI in Landhi, where 2,000 people were screened and 10 of them were found to be HIV infected.
Addressing a press conference along with Dr. Abdul Bari, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Indus Hospital and Dr. Faisal Mahmood of Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), the Minister shared the screening results related to HIV infection at Walika Hospital. He said that in the second investigation report submitted to the Provincial Lokpal (Ombudsman) on June 19, 2026, 78 children have been confirmed to be HIV infected and six children have died.
He said that the Communicable Disease Control (CDC) unit of the Health Department had started the screening campaign after receiving the letter from Valika Hospital on October 22, 2025.
The minister said that 120 people were found HIV positive.
He said that a special data collection form has also been prepared to collect more evidence during the investigation. It is also being ensured that all investigations are conducted confidentially, so that the victims’ families are not socially isolated.
Saeed Ghani said that 78 cases of HIV have been confirmed after direct contact with the affected families, although the total number of infected people may be higher. He said all the infected children are being treated in five major medical institutions, including Indus Hospital, Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) and Dow University of Health Sciences.
“This is a long-term disease and requires long-term solutions,” he said.
Admitting the shortcomings in disposal of medical waste, the Minister said that despite proper arrangements being in place, some people ignore the laid down rules for personal gain.
Citing the Sindh HIV Control Act, 2006, he said that under this law it is mandatory to keep the identity of patients confidential, so that their families do not have to face social stigma.
Dr. Faisal Mahmood of Aga Khan University Hospital said that this problem is not limited to just one area. HIV cases are also being reported from other areas and serious infection control deficiencies have been found in some private clinics.
Dr. Abdul Bari of Indus Hospital said Pakistan still faces a heavy burden of HIV and Hepatitis C. He appealed to the government and health institutions to work together to solve this challenge.
He said that to control infectious diseases, the use of new and sterilized syringes for every patient in clinics and hospitals will have to be ensured at all costs.
There have been many cases of HIV infection related to negligence in health services in Pakistan during the last few years. Among these, the HIV outbreak in Ratodero, Sindh in the year 2019 is considered to be one of the most serious incidents. At that time, a large number of children had reportedly become infected with HIV due to the re-use of infected syringes.
Later, in the World Health Organization (WHO) investigation, unsafe injection methods were cited as the main reason. According to the report, by June 2019, HIV infection had been confirmed in more than 800 children in Ratodero, which has a population of about three lakhs. Although the issue disappeared from global headlines during the Covid-19 pandemic, new cases of infection continued to emerge.
–IANS
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