A TORTUROUS sense of déjà vu is attached to the latest health fiasco at Multan’s Nishtar Hospital. The largest public sector hospital in south Punjab was a crime scene in 2022 when four decomposing bodies were found on its rooftop. Two years later, the medical facility is back in the news: this time, its criminal negligence has led to the death of a renal-failure patient due to HIV/AIDS complications, while 30 others have contracted the infection during their dialysis treatment. These patients were put on dialysis machines reserved for HIV/AIDS cases. A fact-finding committee, constituted by the Punjab government, has now confirmed the shocking eruption at the hospital’s nephrology department. It also suspects that the dialysis equipment was not sterilised. What makes the tragedy more deplorable is the brazen manner in which SOPs were flouted: for over a year, the staff failed to perform the mandatory tests for dialysis patients; medical records were not maintained; and Nishtar Hospital’s infection control committee has not convened in months. This tragedy should serve as a sobering reminder of how the absence of accountability processes, along with unprofessional doctors and medical staff, and the paucity of funds have further damaged a callous healthcare system.

At present, Pakistan ranks second among nations with the sharpest rise in HIV cases in the Asia-Pacific region. This affliction presents a complex battle as stigma stalks it, which impacts societal attitudes towards patients, preventing them from reporting symptoms and continuing with treatment. When left untreated, HIV turns into AIDS whereby an individual’s immune system caves in. For those who do seek treatment, only a tiny percentage receive antiretroviral therapy. Another common reason for the spread of the virus, as seen at Nishtar Hospital, is the extensive and unchecked use of infected medical equipment by ill-trained healthcare personnel alongside poorly screened blood samples. Hence, customary condemnations from lawmakers will not do. The scale of the Multan HIV calamity and its potential spread through bodily contact, coupled with frequent reports about HIV/AIDS hazards from across the country, suggest that the disease can morph into an endemic problem. Only a pro-citizen approach that reduces stigma, penalises criminal health units and administrations, and adopts global medical developments in combating HIV transmission can improve the quality of our medical structure and save lives.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2024