Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has suspended ‘key officials’ following an alarming incident of HIV transmission among dialysis patients at Nishtar Hospital, Multan.

Last week, a troubling incident at Nishtar Hospital in Multan resulted in the death of a kidney-failure patient and the infection of 30 others with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) during dialysis treatment.

In her visit to the hospital, CM Maryam ordered the “immediate” suspension of Medical Superintendent Dr Muhammad Kazim, Head of the Nephrology Department Dr Ghulam Abbas, Associate Professor Dr Poonam Khalid, Senior Registrar Dr Muhammad Qadeer, and Dr Maliha Johar. Medical Officer Dr Muhammad Alamgir and Head Nurse Naheed Parveen were also relieved of their duties.

The provincial chief minister also met with the Nishtar Medical University vice chancellor, the principal, department heads, and staff involved. She reviewed reports and heard their accounts, uncovering a shocking violation of standard operating procedures.

According to the inquiry, mandatory HIV and Hepatitis screenings for dialysis patients, required every three months, “were not conducted.” Disposable dialysis kits and dialysers were “reused” across multiple patients, exposing them to life-threatening infections. It was further revealed that hospital staff sent samples to “private laboratories” in violation of official protocols.

Even after the detection of HIV in patients, the incident was “concealed”. The Punjab chief minister expressed outrage at the failure of senior doctors to supervise the ward adequately, with some not visiting for weeks.

She called for the health secretary to initiate strict disciplinary action under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline, and Accountability (PEEDA) Act.

“We have allocated vast resources to healthcare, but such negligence was unacceptable. Patients come for treatment, not to leave with incurable diseases,” Maryam said in a statement.

She stressed the need for accountability and immediate reforms to prevent such incidents in the future.

The Punjab chief minister directed the installation of a PET scan machine in Multan to strengthen diagnostic facilities. She also inspected the cardiology and other wards, ordering the immediate transfer of critical patients to intensive care units when required.

Also, read this

“I feel like a hero when I smoke e-cigarettes”

Pakistan’s population explosion a major concern: British HC

Endometriosis linked to slightly higher risk of early death: US study

Maryam expressed dissatisfaction with the hospital’s hygiene and cleanliness, instructing staff to address the issues immediately.

A sanitation worker complained about unpaid salaries. The CM reiterated that the government would not tolerate any negligence in healthcare services.

Meanwhile, senior doctors of the Nishtar Hospital Multan including the medical superintendent appeared before SSP (Operations) Kamran Amir Khan on Saturday, in line with an inquiry into the HIV infection case.