Punjab CM suspends Nishtar Hospital staff over AIDS spread

MULTAN: Taking severe action over grave negligence in spread of AIDS at the Nishtar Hospital in Multan, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Saturday suspended the medical superintendent (MS), a head nurse and multiple doctors.

She took this action while visiting the hospital, after reviewing the situation of the disease’s spread among patients during dialysis.

During the visit, Maryam was briefed about the alarming situation. It was reported that due to negligence in following standard operating procedures (SOPs), AIDS and hepatitis tests were not conducted regularly, as required every three months.

Additionally, private laboratories had been used for AIDS tests against protocol, and despite confirming the presence of AIDS in some patients, the hospital staff, including ward doctors, attempted to cover up the incident.

Among the suspended were Dr Muhammad Kazim, Dr Ghulam Abbas, Dr Poonam Khalid, Dr Muhammad Qadeer, Dr Maliha Johar, Dr Muhammad Alamgir, and Head Nurse Naheed Parveen. Maryam also directed the Punjab health secretary to submit a report on the incident.

It was revealed that disposable dialysis kits and dialysers had been reused on patients, which further contributed to the spread of the virus. The head of department and senior doctors were also criticised for failing to make regular ward visits for extended periods.

The Punjab chief executive expressed her dissatisfaction, saying that criminal negligence had been involved in this case. She emphasised that despite providing all resources for the health sector, the results were far from satisfactory.

"It is unacceptable that patients who come to government hospitals for treatment end up contracting AIDS instead," she said.

The hospital has confirmed that 25 patients have contracted AIDS through dialysis, which had been contaminated by equipment previously used on infected patients.

A few days earlier, an AIDS patient had undergone dialysis at the hospital, and the same dialysis machine was then used for other patients, resulting in the transmission of the virus.

This situation has raised serious concerns about the safety protocols at public health facilities, and the suspension of medical staff reflects the government's commitment to ensuring accountability in the healthcare system.