MULTAN: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Multan has raised serious concerns over the joint inquiry report into HIV-positive cases at the dialysis unit of Nishtar Hospital Multan, demanding a transparent investigation into the matter.
Prominent participants of the meeting included Dr. Imran Qaisrani, Dr. Nusrat Buzdar, Dr. Ashfaq Siddiqui, Dr. Momin, Dr. Waqas Afzal, Dr. Adnan Bashir, Dr. Waqar Niazi, and others.
The association has called upon Chief Minister Punjab and Governor Punjab to take immediate notice of the issue and ensure a fair probe to uncover the truth.
In an emergency meeting chaired by Prof. Dr. Masoodur Rauf Haraj, the PMA Multan cabinet expressed unanimous reservations regarding the inquiry report, stating that the most critical question how and why the HIV virus spread among dialysis patients remains unanswered.
They alleged that instead of identifying the real cause, the report appears to target Nishtar Medical University’s (NMU) first female Vice Chancellor as part of a retaliatory campaign. PMA members claimed that a senior administrative officer at NMU, allegedly aspiring to become the next vice chancellor, tried to influence the inquiry committee’s findings.
They further stated that this officer had boasted in private gatherings about his connection with the committee’s convener and even predicted the report’s outcomes weeks before its release. The association criticized the inquiry committee and relevant authorities for failing to determine whether the HIV virus was indeed transmitted through dialysis procedures at Nishtar Hospital.
The essential genetic sequencing report to establish this link has not yet been produced. Moreover, no action has been taken against unqualified medical practitioners who continue to operate freely across South Punjab, nor have any officers from the Punjab AIDS Control Program or Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority been held accountable.
PMA Multan also pointed out that similar administrative negligence previously led to the detection of over 100 HIV cases among children in Taunsa Sharif. They noted that recommendations from the initial committee formed by the Nishtar Vice Chancellor were also ignored, resulting in no practical steps being taken to improve screening and treatment for HIV patients.
Despite the lack of solid evidence in the current report, the incident is allegedly being used as a pretext to target the Vice Chancellor and several faculty members of South Punjab’s only medical university.
The PMA urged the Punjab government to immediately redress any retaliatory actions and ensure that such obstacles do not hinder the progress of Nishtar Medical University.
