RAHIM YAR KHAN: An urgent inquiry into the dialysis of an HIV-positive patient at the Nephrology Ward of Sheikh Zayed Medical College Hospital (SZMCH) has revealed significant operational lapses and a lack of coordination among departments, according to a press release from the District Information Department on Sunday.

Deputy Commissioner Khuram Pervez initiated the inquiry following social media reports of the incident.

He constituted a committee comprising Additional Deputy Commissioner General Irfan Anwar as chairman, alongside Chief Executive Officer of District Health Authority Dr Ghazanfar Shafiq, Professor Dr Zafar Majeed from SZMCH, and District Emergency Officer Rescue 1122 Dr Adil Rehman as members.

The committee was tasked with investigating the matter and submitting a report within 24 hours.

The inquiry findings highlighted serious issues, including a lack of coordination between the medical superintendent (MS) office, Pathology Department, HIV Centre and Nephrology Department.

The administration of SZMCH was found to have neglected the implementation of Section 11 of the Punjab Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 2020.

The report declared several officials guilty of negligence, including the former MS Dr Agha Touheed, Additional MS Dr Imran Bashir, current MS Dr Amjad Rao, Head of the Nephrology Department Dr Abid Hussain, staff nurse Kauser and focal persons of the HIV Centre.

The inquiry detailed how the Pathology Department diagnosed the patient, Nadeem, as HIV-positive on January 2, 2024, and the MS office notified the HIV Centre the following day.

However, HIV Centre in charge Dr Arjan Laal and Computer Operator Muhammad Tariq failed to issue a mandatory HIV-positive alert, which the report labelled as criminal negligence.

The report also criticised Dr Abid Hussain for not following up on pending HIV reports and nurse Kauser for not adhering to dialysis protocols, which endangered the lives of other patients.

SZMCH currently has 208 registered dialysis patients, including Nadeem. HIV tests conducted on all patients on December 4, 2024, revealed no additional positive cases.

The committee recommended action against those found responsible under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline, and Accountability Act 2006.

Immediate steps were urged for implementing stringent protocols for contagious diseases.

The committee suggested isolating patients with confirmed contagious diseases, issuing timely alerts, enforcing infection management protocols, and ensuring staff punctuality and follow-ups.

Furthermore, it advised SZMCH to conduct regular training sessions for doctors and staff to prevent similar incidents in the future and to redesign the dialysis mechanism for better safety and efficiency.

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2024