'Negligence' behind HIV outbreak in one of Pakistan's biggest hospitals

Pakistan’s top hospital has been accused of ’negligence’ by doctors and other staff over the outbreak of HIV/AIDS that has affected dozens of kidney patients.

An investigative body was formed to probe reports of a patient who died of kidney failure following which 30 others were found positive for HIV/AIDS infections at the Nishtar Hospital located in south Punjab.

The probe team found that all 30 patients who contracted HIV/AIDS suffered from kidney ailments and were receiving dialysis treatment at Nishtar Hospital.

The fact-finding committee included the Pu­­n­jab Human Organ Trans­planta­ti­­on Authority DG, the Punjab Aids Con­trol Programme project director, the Services Institute of Medical Sciences head of nephrology, and an official of the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department.

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What did the probe find?

An official told Dawn that the hospital violated the standard operating procedures (SOP) followed to carry out pre and post-dialysis treatments.

Inadequate implementation of universal precautions, such as proper sterilization of dialysis machines and ensuring safety during blood transfusions, might have contributed to the potential risk of HIV transmission.

Apart from this, the hospital also failed to maintain proper medical records of the patients under its care which in turn made it impossible to ensure they were not carrying any infectious diseases before their treatments.

The committee’s report has been forwarded to the provincial government for further action, the official stated, emphasising that the case of HIV/AIDS transmission at a tertiary care hospital has “tarnished the country’s reputation.”

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Hospital rejects claims

Nishtar Hospital, meanwhile, has denied all the allegations levelled against it.

Prof Mehnaz Khakwani, the hospital’s vice chancellor said that the infected patients could have contracted the disease from the private clinics they visit for blood tests.

On the other hand, the hospital’s top management has been alleged by the official for trying to make junior doctors and residents “scapegoats”.