Two more kids test positive for HIV at Valika Hospital

KARACHI:

Two more children have tested positive for HIV in the alleged medical negligence case linked to Sindh Employees' Social Security Institution's (SESSI) Kulsum Bai Valika Hospital, raising the total number of affected children to 80 and intensifying calls for accountability.

Provincial Labour and Human Resources Minister Saeed Ghani had earlier confirmed 78 pediatric HIV cases allegedly linked to treatment at the hospital. The emergence of two additional cases has heightened anxiety among affected families and residents of the surrounding communities.

One of the latest cases involves a nine-year-old girl whose father, Arafat, said all three of his children have now tested positive for HIV.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, he said his 12-year-old and three-year-old sons were diagnosed several months ago, while his daughter's test recently returned positive after she underwent screening because of persistent health problems.

According to him, the girl had been admitted to Valika Hospital in late 2025 for treatment of a chest infection. When her condition failed to improve, doctors advised further medical tests, including an HIV screening, which confirmed the infection.

"My three children are now HIV-positive. Our entire family is living through immense mental trauma," he said.

The second newly confirmed case involves a three-year-old girl from Metroville Colony. Her father, Muhammad Amin, said she had also received treatment at Valika Hospital before her health deteriorated. Subsequent medical examinations, including an HIV test, confirmed that she too had contracted the virus.

The parents have called for a transparent, independent and impartial investigation into the incident and demanded strict legal action against those found responsible.

The latest diagnoses have further alarmed families in Zia Colony and Metroville Colony, where many children were treated at the hospital. Residents have urged the Sindh government to immediately screen all children who received medical treatment at Valika Hospital to identify any additional cases at the earliest stage.

Affected families have also demanded that the provincial government provide free, long-term medical treatment, antiretroviral medicines, psychological counselling and other support services for all infected children.