The menace started when a local private doctor raised alarm after noticing an unusual spike in children testing positive for highly contagious virus. Many of these cases had a common link of treatment at THQ Taunsa hospital. Almost all of whom had been treated at the facility. He also recounted disturbing accounts from parents, including claims that syringes were allegedly reused between patients, including children known to be HIV-positive.
Authorities intervened in March 2025, when official figures placed the number of cases at 106. The hospital’s medical superintendent at the time was suspended, and officials promised a “massive crackdown” on unsafe practices.
Masive undercover filming inside THQ Taunsa shows Syringes allegedly reused on multi-dose medicine vials on 10 separate occasions.
In four cases, medicine from the same vial was later administered to different children, Medical staff observed giving injections without sterile gloves on 66 occasions. A nurse allegedly seen handling items from a medical waste disposal box without gloves Open vials, discarded needles, and exposed syringes frequently left on counters meant to remain sterile.
BBC Eye also uncovered a nurse reportedly retrieved a used syringe from under a counter containing leftover liquid and passed it to a colleague, apparently for reuse
Most children observed being treated were reportedly given injections via cannulas inserted directly into veins, a method that experts say increases infection risk because contaminated substances can enter the bloodstream immediately, bypassing the body’s natural defenses.
Among 97 infected children whose mothers were also tested, only four mothers were HIV-positive, suggesting that mother-to-child transmission accounted for a very small proportion of cases, the report revealed.
These revealations raised serious ongoing concerns about infection control standards and patient safety at THQ Taunsa hospital, amid one of the largest reported clusters of pediatric HIV cases in the region.
Health Alert: Avoid These Fake and Substandard Painkillers Being Sold in Punjab
About the Author
