Karachi [Pakistan], July 12 (ANI): The number of confirmed Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections linked to the transmission incident at Karachi’s Kulsum Bai Valika (KBV) Hospital has risen to 80 after two more girls tested positive, The Express Tribune reported.
Sindh Labour Minister and Sindh Employees’ Social Security Institution (SESSI) Chairman Saeed Ghani had confirmed HIV infection in 78 children last week. With the latest two cases, the total number of confirmed infections has increased to at least 80, according to The Express Tribune.
The father of a nine-year-old girl whose HIV infection was confirmed on Friday said that all three of his children had tested positive for the virus, The Express Tribune reported.
Earlier, on July 3, the Sindh High Court directed the provincial government to submit a detailed report within two weeks in response to a petition alleging that more than 200 children of industrial workers contracted HIV and nine died due to alleged negligence at KBV Hospital in Karachi, according to The Express Tribune.
Meanwhile, in January this year, the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSR&C) made shocking revelations that there are a staggering 3 lakh cases of HIV in the country, with only 34,000 patients being treated, Dawn reported on Saturday.
According to the news outlet, the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSR&C) on Friday expressed serious concern over the reported 300,000 HIV cases in Pakistan, and noted that while only 87,000 had been diagnosed, a mere 34,000 patients are currently under treatment.
It further noted that the committee was informed that none of the private hospitals and dispensaries in Islamabad held a valid license, despite the establishment of the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) in 2018.
As per Dawn, serious concerns were raised over unregulated pricing by private hospitals, lack of charity care, detention of patients and dead bodies over unpaid bills, poor solid waste management, illegal clinics, unsafe abortions, and the over-the-counter sale of medicines by pharmacies without prescriptions.
The concerns were discussed during a meeting at Parliament House under the chairmanship of MNA Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani aimed at addressing critical public health challenges, regulatory lapses in the private healthcare sector and policy bottlenecks affecting medical education and patient welfare.
Dawn noted that during the meeting, members highlighted grave issues related to the identification of hotspots and red zones, alarming reports of HIV-positive newborns, particularly in Sindh and other areas of Pakistan. (ANI)
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