LAHORE: A high-level inquiry committee has been constituted at Nishtar Hospital, Multan, to investigate allegations of medical negligence after a patient reportedly underwent surgery without mandatory HIV/AIDS screening, later testing positive for the virus.

The incident has triggered concern among healthcare staff over possible exposure and lapses in infection-control protocols.

According to hospital sources, the surgery was performed on Tuesday (May 19) in Operation Theatre No. 17 at Ward No. 5. A junior doctor had reportedly flagged during pre-operative file verification that the patient’s HIV/AIDS screening report was missing. However, the objection was allegedly not acted upon, and the procedure went ahead.

Ward In-charge Dr Masood Hiraj told Dawn that he became aware of the issue on Wednesday (May 20) morning and immediately informed the medical superintendent of Nishtar Hospital as well as the in-charge of infectious diseases to ensure urgent preventive measures.

He said that the operation theatre and all surgical instruments were cleaned early in the morning around 8:30 am on Wednesday.

Dr Hiraj further clarified that the patient had previously undergone two surgeries at the facility, during which HIV screening was conducted and the results were negative.

However, he said that during the most recent procedure, junior staff proceeded without the required screening report. The patient was later confirmed to be HIV-positive, triggering alarm within the hospital.

In response to the situation, the MS on Thursday formed a four-member inquiry committee to investigate the incident and submit its findings within two days.

The committee includes Dr. Lubna Azam as chairperson, Dr Riwad Noor, Tahira Ghaffar and Dr Faiz Rasool as members.

Medical experts stressed that strict adherence to pre-surgical screening and universal infection-control protocols is essential to protect healthcare workers and patients.

They cautioned that bypassing such procedures could pose serious occupational health risks and raise ethical concerns.

The hospital has previously faced scrutiny over infection-control practices. Earlier inquiries into Nishtar Hospital’s dialysis unit had reportedly confirmed lapses linked to multiple HIV infections among patients, raising questions about systemic oversight and safety standards.

One of the members of the committee and incharge infectious disease Dr Riwad Noor told Dawn that they would conduct inquiry on Friday (today) and would submit report on Saturday (tomorrow).

A Nishtar Hospital spokesperson said an inquiry committee had been constituted to investigate the matter related to the surgery of a suspected HIV patient in the operation theatre.

He said disinfection of equipment in all operation theatres was carried out on time in accordance with standard protocols.

He said that initial investigations revealed that the HIV patient was the last patient to undergo surgery in the concerned operation theatre.

According to the spokesperson, the patient’s HIV test conducted at Nishtar Hospital turned positive. Under standard operating procedures (SOPs), such a case is treated as a suspected HIV patient, the spokesperson said, adding that the patient’s samples had been sent to Lahore for PCR testing to confirm the diagnosis.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2026