107 children test HIV positive in Karachi's Valika Hospital; court seeks report

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court’s constitutional bench on Thursday directed the Sindh government to submit a detailed report within two weeks on the alleged HIV outbreak among children who received treatment at the Sindh government-run Kulsum Bai Valika Social Security SITE Hospital in Karachi.

The order came during the hearing of a petition seeking action over the spread of HIV among children due to the reuse of contaminated syringes at the hospital.

A large number of HIV-positive children and their parents were present in the courtroom during the proceedings.

Counsel for the petitioners argued that the Sindh government had demonstrated “gross negligence” in dealing with the matter, alleging that the use of contaminated syringes at Valika Hospital had infected hundreds of children with HIV.

The lawyer informed the court that nine children had died while hundreds more had contracted the virus. Despite eight months having passed since the deaths, no meaningful action had been taken, he added.

The counsel further submitted that although an inquiry was initiated in response to a legal notice, its findings had neither been presented before the court nor shared with the affected families.

He also told the court that international organisations, including UNICEF, had expressed concern over the situation.

The petition stated that First Information Reports (FIRs) had not been registered in connection with the deaths of the children.

The petitioners’ lawyer urged the court to intervene, warning that more children could lose their lives if timely action was not taken.

Responding to the arguments, Justice Adnan Karim observed that while the court understood the gravity of the matter, proceedings had to be conducted in accordance with the law.

“Everyone has to die one day, but the court will proceed according to the prescribed legal procedure,” the judge remarked.

When the petitioners’ counsel insisted that the government had failed to act, Justice Adnan Iqbal directed him to allow the court to perform its role.

The bench observed that it would reach a conclusion only after receiving replies from all parties, assuring the petitioners that the matter would be decided in accordance with the law.

The hearing was adjourned until July 20, with notices issued to the respondents to submit their replies.

The hearing comes a day after a three-year-old girl from Orangi Town tested positive for HIV, raising the total number of infected children linked to the outbreak to 107.

According to her family, the infection was confirmed through three separate laboratory tests, including the Rapid Detect, Uni-Gold and HIV Combo (Ag/Ab) tests. The parents said the child had received treatment at Kulsum Bai Valika Social Security SITE Hospital and began experiencing health complications afterwards, prompting HIV testing.

The latest case has intensified concerns over the ongoing outbreak involving children treated at the government-run hospital in Karachi’s SITE Town.

According to health authorities, 107 children from Orangi Town have so far tested positive for HIV, while the death toll among infected children in Zia Colony has risen to nine.

Several affected families have alleged that hospital staff reused syringes on multiple children, resulting in the spread of the virus.

In February, Federal Minister for National Health Services Syed Mustafa Kamal publicly stated that the outbreak was caused by the reuse of contaminated syringes at Valika Hospital.

Addressing the National Assembly on June 10, the minister also announced that the government had banned five types of syringes following a rise in HIV/AIDS cases across the country. He said reports of increasing HIV infections had also emerged from Islamabad and Taunsa in Punjab.