Pakistan

Action Taken Against Doctors and Staff at Nishter Hospital After HIV Outbreak Among Dialysis Patients

Multan:Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has taken strict action following a criminal negligence incident at Nishter Hospital, Multan, where HIV was spread among dialysis patients. The Chief Minister has ordered the suspension of the Medical Superintendent (MS) of the hospital, along with several doctors and head nurses, while instructing the Secretary of Health to submit a detailed report on the incident.
Among those suspended are Dr. Muhammad Kazim, the Medical Superintendent of Nishter Hospital, Dr. Ghulam Abbas, Head of the Nephrology Department at Nishter Medical University, Associate Professor Dr. Poonam Khalid, Senior Registrar Dr. Muhammad Qadeer, Dr. Maliyah Johar, Dr. Muhammad Alamgir, and Head Nurse Naheed Parveen.
Maryam Nawaz visited the hospital to personally investigate the incident. She listened to the explanations of the hospital’s Vice Chancellor, Principal, Head of Department, Assistant Professors, and officials from the AIDS Control Program.
The inquiry report revealed that the hospital violated standard operating procedures (SOPs) by failing to conduct mandatory tests for HIV and hepatitis every three months. Additionally, HIV tests were outsourced to private labs, in contravention of protocols. Despite confirming the presence of HIV in patients, staff and doctors tried to conceal the issue. The investigation also uncovered that disposable dialysis kits and dialyzers were being reused on multiple patients, and senior doctors had not visited the ward for several weeks.
The Chief Minister directed the Secretary of Health to take strict action against the responsible officials under the Punjab Health Act. She also ordered that compensation be provided to the affected patients. In a statement, Maryam Nawaz said that criminal negligence was at the core of the incident and emphasized that the failure to use disposable syringes properly was one of the major causes of the HIV outbreak.
Furthermore, the Chief Minister issued an order to ensure timely payment of salaries to sanitary workers following complaints from hospital staff.
Meanwhile, a protest erupted at Nishter Hospital as doctors and paramedical staff expressed their discontent over the suspensions. They staged demonstrations against the government and the police.

Related News

Back to top button