Daily Times

A high-level committee probing into the HIV outbreak at Nishtar Hospital in Multan has revealed shocking negligence and tampering by hospital staff including senior doctors.

According to police, the inquiry committee, formed on directives of Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz, found that the hospital’s dialysis unit was responsible for the spread of HIV among patients. The inquiry committee recorded the statement of Dr. Mehnaz Khakwani, Vice Chancellor of Nishtar Medical University. The police inquiry committee also recorded the statements of 10 doctors, a nurse and a record keeper. The committee’s report exposed a disturbing pattern of negligence among hospital staff, leading to the spread of HIV among patients.

“After the first incident was reported on October 11, doctors made fake reports from lab authorities to cover-up.” According to police, the committee found that tempered and bogus reports were made part of the dialysis unit record, The committee discovered that hospital staff had tampered with records and produced fake reports to cover up their negligence, the police said. The investigation, according to police, revealed that senior doctors and hospital administrators were also involved in the cover-up.

The inquiry report will be sent to the Secretary Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education. The Healthcare Commission has already recommended cancellation of the licenses of the doctors involved while the police cannot directly register a case against doctors. Meanwhile, the Punjab government has made the HIV/AIDS screening of dialysis patients mandatory every after three months across the province after the HIV outbreak in Multan. Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir said that the screening and testing of patients has been made obligatory in all the hospitals under the management of the Primary Health Care Department. He directed the relevant officials to complete the process of screening within two weeks, while the AIDS and Hepatitis Prevention and Control Program of Punjab will assist in this regard.

Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif expressed her displeasure over the outbreak of HIV in Multan and sought a progress report within 24 hours. While presiding over a special meeting on health, Maryam Nawaz said that the outbreak of HIV among dialysis patients in Multan at is not only regrettable but also shameful as well. “Halting dialysis procedure due to non-availability of funds is regrettable,” she said.