Five new HIV cases surface in Nishtar Hospital

MULTAN: Panic gripped Nishtar Hospital›s Nephrology ward on Saturday when five dialysis patients were tested Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) positive, doctors said unofficially.

Earlier, 25 dialysis patients tested positive for HIV, prompting Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to order action against five doctors, including the Nephrology ward HOD Prof. Dr Ghulam Abbas, Medical Superintendent Dr Kazim Khan, and other medical staff under the Peeda Act. During a repeat blood screening of patients registered in the dialysis unit, five new HIV-positive cases were detected.

Experts stated that individuals can test positive for HIV in screening in two to three weeks, or sometimes one to two months, after being infected with the virus.

The total number of HIV-positive patients in the dialysis unit has now reached 30. One of the previous 25 HIV-positive patients has died. The AIDS Control Program and other relevant officers have been informed about the new positive patients, officials said. The Nishtar Hospital vice-chancellor›s spokesperson Dr Wali was repeatedly tried to be contacted, but the network could not connect him.