Multiple reports highlight systemic negligence in Pakistan's public healthcare system

Islamabad, April 21 The revelations in the British broadcaster BBC's investigative documentary 'Who gave our children HIV?' showcase systemic negligence in public healthcare system of Pakistan. The findings of BBC Eye Investigations reveal a pattern of reckless malpractice at the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital (THQ) in Taunsa city of Pakistan's Punjab province that is more than an individual error, a report has detailed.

"What emerges is a picture of institutional failure in which the most basic principles of patient safety are ignored, and where children — the most vulnerable — are made to pay the price. The reuse of contaminated syringes, injections administered through clothing, untrained individuals injecting children from blood-contaminated vials, and staff handling medical waste with bare hands while leaving used syringes and needles exposed are egregious violations of fundamental medical protocols," an editorial in Pakistan's Business Recorder mentioned.

Such practices continuing even after the widely-publicised outbreak and despite official promises of reform suggests that accountability mechanisms are weak or fully absent. The suspension of a single official, the medical superintendent of the THQ, seems more like a symbolic gesture than a meaningful action. Such actions, without structural reforms and strict implementation, bring little change on the ground.

Furthermore, authorities reported 106 infections while the BBC investigation indicates that 331 children tested positive. This discrepancy sparks serious concerns about transparency and the readiness of institutions to deal with the true scale of the crisis. Reporting less numbers may protect reputations for a short term, however, it erodes people's trust and impacts effective response strategies.

"The situation in Taunsa is not an isolated incident. The earlier HIV outbreak in Rato Dero, Sindh, should have served as a wake-up call. Instead, it appears to have been treated as an aberration rather than evidence of a deeper systemic malaise. Reports of unsafe medical practices — ranging from contaminated blood transfusions to the absence of proper sterilisation — continue to surface across the country. These recurring failures point to chronic deficiencies in training, regulation, and oversight," the Business Recorder mentioned.

Meanwhile, over 100 people, especially children, were infected with Monkeypox (mpox) in Sindh. Around 30 patients were lab-confirmed, with nine deaths. Majority of cases reported from Sindh's Khairpur could be traced back to some public healthcare facilities.

"A high fatality Mpox outbreak is perplexing, but once you put the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle together, it becomes clear that the lack of infection control practices in our healthcare facilities has a major responsibility for this outbreak. It is not just the total lack of infection control; unsafe blood transfusions are another major factor behind the spread of HIV and hepatitis," a report in The Express Tribune mentioned.

"Even qualified doctors and consultants often do not give the needed emphasis to properly sanitising their equipment and procedures. Similarly, injectable drug use and unsafe sexual practices remain important sources of HIV and hepatitis transmission. And it is not just HIV and hepatitis, serious diseases like Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) infect and kill multiple people every year," it added.

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