By: Asim Nawaz Abbasi
MULTAN: A high-level committee investigating the alarming HIV outbreak at Nishtar Hospital has revealed grave negligence and deliberate cover-ups involving hospital staff, including senior doctors.
The inquiry, initiated under the directives of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, revealed that the hospital’s dialysis unit was at the center of the outbreak. The report highlighted that after the initial case on October 11, hospital staff fabricated reports and tampered with records to conceal their negligence.
Police confirmed that fake reports were submitted to the dialysis unit’s record, exposing a systemic effort to hide the criminal negligence. The committee further involved senior doctors and administrators in staging the cover-up.
The findings have prompted the Punjab Healthcare Commission to recommend canceling the licenses of the involved medical professionals. However, police face legal restrictions in registering cases directly against doctors.
In response to the crisis, the Punjab government has mandated quarterly HIV/AIDS screenings for dialysis patients across all provincial hospitals. Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir stressed the importance of immediate action, directing officials to complete the screening process within two weeks with assistance from the AIDS and Hepatitis Prevention and Control Program.
Expressing outrage over the scandal, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz called it “regrettable and shameful.” She criticized the suspension of dialysis procedures due to inadequate funding and demanded a progress report within 24 hours.
The inquiry committee has also recorded the statements of key hospital personnel, including Dr. Mehnaz Khakwani, Vice Chancellor of Nishtar Medical University, alongside 10 doctors, a nurse, and a record keeper.
This shocking incident has drawn widespread attention, raising critical questions about hospital management and patient safety protocols in the province.