Sindh Labour Minister Saeed Ghani said on Tuesday that the number of people diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) linked to Karachi’s Kulsum Bai Valika (KBV) Hospital outbreak rose to 120, announcing that cases would be registered against those found guilty of negligence.
Addressing a press conference at the Sindh Assembly’s committee room, Ghani said more than 10,500 people were screened for the virus in Valika Hospital and the surrounding area, resulting in the HIV positive diagnosis of 120 individuals.
He highlighted that the infected children were receiving treatment at five major hospitals across the country.
Of the 120 affected individuals, Ghani said, 81 were registered beneficiaries of the Sindh Employees’ Social Security Institution (SESSI) and the remaining 39 people, although not covered by the institution, were still getting free treatment from the government.
Highlighting further measures, the minister said, around 2,000 people were screened at SESSI’s Landhi Hospital, of whom 10 were diagnosed as HIV-positive.
“The government will continue the screening campaign despite fears that additional cases could emerge,” he said, maintaining that early diagnosis remained the most effective means of controlling the spread of the disease.
He confirmed that all cases identified so far were linked to infections acquired before October 2025 and no new outbreak case was reported thereafter.
Rejecting claims that the provincial government remained indifferent to the outbreak at the SESSI-administered Valika Hospital, the labour minister said the government acted as soon as the cases surfaced in October last year.
He said the Health Department’s Communicable Disease Control team began screening residents the day after the first cases were reported, while an inquiry committee was constituted within days.
According to the minister, the initial inquiry had confirmed HIV infection among 16 children and recorded two deaths, and a subsequent inquiry report identified 78 confirmed cases and six deaths.
“Show-cause notices have been issued to 37 doctors and members of staff,” Ghani said, adding that all those found responsible would face strict disciplinary and legal action.
“Those involved will not only be dismissed from service, but first information reports will also be registered against them, and they will face legal proceedings,” the minister asserted during the press conference.
Ghani said that the Sindh government had established a Rs2 billion endowment fund for the treatment and welfare of the infected children, stressing that the amount would be increased if required.
To protect children and families from social stigma and discrimination, the minister vowed to keep the identities of those infected “confidential” in accordance with the Sindh HIV and AIDS Control, Treatment and Protection Act 2013.
Responding to a question about the disposal of medical waste, which was the major cause behind the HIV outbreak, the minister said clinical waste management operated under the Sindh Hospital Waste Management Rules, but some individuals refused to comply with the prescribed procedures for personal gain.
He said punitive measures were underway against such elements.
Speaking at the press conference, Indus Hospital and Health Network Founder Dr Abdul Bari Khan said the prevalence of HIV and hepatitis C in Pakistan remained a matter of grave concern and demanded coordinated efforts by the government, healthcare institutions and other stakeholders to reduce the number of cases.
Aga Khan University Hospital Associate Chief Medical Officer and infectious disease specialist Dr Faisal Mahmood emphasised that the issue was not endemic to a single hospital or locality.
He called for stricter implementation of infection prevention and control protocols across all healthcare facilities, including private clinics.