Criminal negligence

A kidney failure patient died while 30 others contracted HIV/AIDS at Multan's Nishtar Hospital. The largest government-run health facility in southern Punjab, the hospital is once again in the limelight due to its gross negligence. The patients were reportedly put on three dialysis machines meant for HIV-positive cases. The incident has also put at risk the medical staff of the nephrology department as they have been in contact with the infected patients during the treatment process. This is not the first case of gross negligence at the hospital where, around two years ago, putrefied bodies were found on the roof of one of the its buildings. This case highlights the failure of basic medical protocols and hygiene standards.

The fact that HIV transmission occurred in a dialysis unit, where strict sterilisation and infection control procedures are vital, points to a shocking level of carelessness and mismanagement. Dialysis machines, which are used on patients with kidney ailments, require that each session is conducted in a sterile environment to avoid cross-contamination. The negligence exhibited in this case, whether through the use of unsterilised equipment or poor infection control measures, is both criminal and inexcusable. However, such incidents of negligence are all too common across public-sector hospitals in Pakistan. Inadequate infrastructure, outdated equipment and a lack of oversight have become the norm. But what else can be expected when the government gives the health sector a meagre amount from the budget. Due to our other fiscal commitments, the health sector has never been a priority.

The Punjab government, and other provincial authorities, must ensure that stringent measures are put in place to prevent such tragedies and the flaws are urgently addressed.