120 living near Karachi's Valika Hospital test positive in HIV screening

• Minister Ghani says govt tested 10,500 residents following emergence of HIV cases at health facility in SITE in Oct 2025
• Says 2,000 tested at SESSI-run hospital in Landhi, 10 of whom were found infected with virus
• Vows not to suspend screening drive due to fear of more cases emerging
• Announces body of leading medical experts for long-term treatment, welfare of 78 infected children

KARACHI: Following the HIV outbreak at the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (SESSI)-run Valika Hospital, more than 10,500 people living in the vicinity of the health facility in SITE have been screened since October 2025 and 120 of them tested positive for the contagious disease.

Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, Sindh Labour Minister Saeed Ghani said a separate screening drive was conducted at another SESSI-run hospital in Landhi, where 2,000 people were tested and 10 of them found infected with HIV.

Accompanied by Indus Hospital Chief Executive Dr Abdul Bari and Aga Khan University Hospital’s Dr Faisal Mehmood, the minister shared the findings of two inquiries into the HIV outbreak at Valika Hospital, stating that the second inquiry report, submitted to the provincial ombudsman on June 19, 2026 confirmed 78 HIV-positive children and six deaths.

He said that the screening campaign was launched by the health department’s Communicable Disease Control (CDC) unit a day after receiving a letter from Valika Hospital on Oct 22, 2025.

He said that the 120 individuals tested HIV positive were being treated at government expense.

He stressed that screening would not be halted despite the rising numbers. “We will not suspend screening out of fear that more cases may emerge. The government will take full responsibility for all newly identified patients,” he said.

The minister said a dedicated data collection form had also been introduced to gather further evidence while ensuring that all investigations were conducted discreetly to minimise the social impact on affected families.

‘Affected children being treated at five leading hospitals’

Ghani said the 78 confirmed cases had been verified through direct contact with the victims’ families, although the overall number of positive cases could ultimately be higher.

He said that all affected children were receiving treatment at five leading institutions, including Indus Hospital, AKUH and Dow University of Health Sciences.

He announced that a standing committee of leading medical experts would be constituted to supervise both treatment strategy and management of a Rs2 billion endowment fund set up for the affected children’s long-term treatment.

“This is a long-term disease and requires a long-term solution,” he said, adding that from the outset, the provincial government pledged that it would not abandon the victims or their families.

He added that the endowment fund could be expanded if required.

He also acknowledged shortcomings in the disposal of medical waste, saying that although a proper disposal mechanism existed, some individuals ignored established protocols for personal gain. “Action against those responsible was also under way,” he said.

Citing the Sindh HIV Control Act of 2006 that mandated confidentiality of patients’ identities to protect families from stigma, he criticised what he called the sensationalising of the issue by some political and social figures in a manner that compromised the privacy of affected families.

Accountability ensured

Ghani said that strict action would be taken against those found negligent, including dismissals, FIRs and imprisonment.

When asked about his own responsibility, the minister said he had accepted indirect responsibility. “If my resignation could resolve the issue, I have no objection,” he remarked.

He clarified that all hospital-linked infections predated October 2025 and that no new case originating at Valika Hospital had been reported since. “Screening continues in both hospitals and surrounding communities,” he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Faisal Mahmood of AKUH said that the problem was not limited to one locality, with cases emerging from other areas and infection-control lapses noted at some private clinics.

He claimed that most of the HIV patients had the history of visiting the private clinics in their areas.

Dr Bari of the Indus Hospital said that Pakistan continues to face a high burden of HIV and Hepatitis C, and called for joint efforts by the government and healthcare institutions to address it.

He said that the use of new syringes in clinics and hospitals would have to be ensured to contain the infectious diseases.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2026 ...