Child HIV Outbreak in Pakistan Deepens After Hospital Staff Filmed Reusing Needles
A government hospital in central Pakistan has come under fresh scrutiny after undercover footage appeared to show staff reusing syringes on children. This hospital at Taunsa sits at the heart of a major HIV outbreak among young patients.
Health officials first noted the spike in cases late in 2024. Families and local doctors have since linked many infections to routine treatments at the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, known as THQ Taunsa, in the Punjab province town of Taunsa.
Surge in Child HIV Cases in Pakistan Sparks Alarm
Between November 2024 and October 2025, 331 children in Taunsa tested positive for HIV. This figure has stunned local communities and health experts alike. A private doctor, Dr. Gul Qaisrani, first flagged the unusual pattern. He saw a sharp rise among children who had received care at the hospital.
Investigators later reviewed samples from 97 of the affected children. Only four of their mothers carried the virus. This low rate pointed away from mother-to-child transmission. Instead, over half the cases listed contaminated needles as the likely source of infection.
This pattern has echoed past outbreaks in Pakistan. However, the scale here has drawn particular concern. Families have described how everyday visits for fevers or minor illnesses ended in lifelong diagnoses.
BBC Investigation Captures Unsafe Practices in Pakistani Hospitals
In late 2025, a BBC Eye team spent 32 hours filming inside the hospital’s paediatric ward. The hidden camera recorded repeated lapses in basic safety protocols. Staff appeared to reuse syringes on multi-dose medicine vials on at least 10 separate occasions. On four of those instances, the same vial supplied medicine to different children.
The footage also showed a nurse handing a used syringe containing leftover liquid to a colleague. Other violations included injecting patients without sterile gloves dozens of times. Open vials and discarded needles lay on countertops. Hand-washing facilities remained blocked and lacked sanitizers.
Experts have described these practices as highly dangerous. Reused syringes can transfer blood-borne viruses such as HIV even when new needles are attached later. Paediatric specialists have noted that Pakistan already struggles with high rates of unnecessary injections, which heightens risks when hygiene fails.
Hospital Leadership and Government Denies Wrongdoing
The hospital’s current medical superintendent, Dr. Qasim Buzdar, has rejected the authenticity of the footage. He has claimed it is either old material or staged. In public statements, he has insisted that THQ Taunsa remains a safe place for patients.
Earlier, in March 2025, authorities suspended the previous superintendent, Dr. Tayyab Farooq Chandio, after the outbreak first emerged. Yet he returned to work within three months. This rapid reinstatement has fueled criticism from affected families.
Pakistani officials have pushed back against direct blame on the hospital. They have argued that no conclusive evidence links the facility alone to the outbreak. Instead, they have pointed to unregulated private clinics and unscreened blood transfusions as possible factors. In general Pakistan’s reputation in the field of Health Care remains extremely poor.
Families Face Stigma and Lifelong Treatment
Children like 10-year-old Asma now live with HIV. Her family believes she and her brother contracted the virus during hospital visits. Such stories have spread fear across Taunsa. Stigma has compounded the medical burden, leaving parents worried about schooling and future prospects.
This latest revelation has highlighted deeper challenges in Pakistan’s public health system. While authorities promise crackdowns, the undercover evidence suggests that basic safeguards still fall short in some facilities. For the affected children and their families, the consequences have already proven irreversible.
Web Resources on Child HIV Outbreak in Pakistan
1. BBC.com : Hospital at centre of child HIV outbreak caught reusing syringes in undercover filming
2. BMJ.com : HIV: “At least” 329 children infected in Pakistan province, as medical association blames negligence
3. WHO : A pediatric HIV outbreak in Pakistan
4. Gulf News : Syringe reuse at Pakistan hospital infects 331 children with HIV, probe reveals