Medical Emergency Urged Over Rising HIV Cases in Public Hospitals

KARACHI: A lawyer representing children affected by HIV has urged the federal government to declare a medical emergency and establish a federal commission of inquiry into the alleged spread of HIV among children at public hospitals.

In a letter to the federal government, lawyer Tariq Mansoor claimed that HIV cases among children were increasing rapidly at public hospitals, including Waliqa Hospital. He called for an emergency response and the formation of a joint investigation team (JIT) to examine the cases.

Mansoor urged the government to initiate an inquiry under the Pakistan Commission of Inquiry Act, 2017, and involve federal investigative and intelligence agencies, including the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB), National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Military Intelligence and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

He also called for the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and the National Institute of Health to be included in the investigation.

The lawyer demanded a comprehensive probe into cases of children contracting HIV at the hospitals concerned, along with the preservation and forensic auditing of their medical, administrative and financial records.

He further urged the federal government to make the inquiry commission’s findings public and take legal action against anyone found responsible.