Valika Hospital HIV case: Inquiry report being concealed, SHC told

KARACHI: The lawyer representing the victims in the Valika Hospital HIV transmission case told the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday that facts related to the case and the inquiry report were being concealed.

The SHC heard a petition concerning the transmission of HIV among children receiving treatment at Kulsum Bai Valika Hospital, a Sindh Employees’ Social Security Institution (SESSI)-run facility in Karachi’s SITE area.

A large number of parents of the affected children, accompanied by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Jr., also attended the hearing.

During the proceedings, the petitioner’s counsel informed the court that nine children had died while the petition remained pending.

“Facts are being concealed from the court, and the inquiry report is also being withheld,” the lawyer told the court.

The counsel further claimed that around 1,200 children in Sindh had been diagnosed with HIV and alleged that Dr Shazia Altaf had withheld records from the inquiry committee.

The lawyer also told the court that the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) had conducted raids at several locations and recovered syringes that could potentially be reused.

The counsel alleged that an officer facing allegations in the case had subsequently been appointed as the in-charge of an endowment fund.

A lawyer representing SESSI informed the court that Dr Shazia Altaf had already been suspended.

The court asked the petitioner’s lawyer what further action he wanted the court to take.

Valika Hospital case: 16 more children test HIV positive in Karachi

The petitioner’s counsel argued that the Sindh health secretary could lodge a complaint against those responsible for the alleged negligence.

Earlier, Sindh Labour Minister Saeed Ghani had confirmed that at least 78 children had contracted HIV at the hospital.

Reports had also indicated that more than 100 children from Pathan Colony had tested positive for HIV over a nine-month period, raising concerns about infection-control practices at healthcare facilities.

An inquiry report cited in the case stated that the outbreak was linked to the repeated use of disposable syringes on multiple patients. The report claimed that a single 10cc syringe was repeatedly used on different newborns, potentially contributing to the transmission of HIV among children receiving treatment.