Hospital at centre of child HIV outbreak caught reusing syringes in undercover filming

Hospital at Centre of Child HIV Outbreak Caught Reusing Syringes in Undercover Filming

Moammed Amin, an eight-year-old boy, passed away shortly after learning he had HIV. His mother, Sughra, described his condition as severe, with fevers so intense he slept outdoors in the rain and suffered “as if he had been tossed into hot oil.” Ten-year-old Asma, his sister, recounted her brother’s struggles as she stood at his grave. Both children were diagnosed with HIV following medical treatments at a government hospital in Taunsa, Punjab, Pakistan, according to their family. They are among 331 children identified by BBC Eye as testing positive for HIV in the city between November 2024 and October 2025.

A local physician at a private clinic linked the HIV cases to THQ Taunsa Hospital in late 2024, prompting authorities to vow a “major crackdown” and suspend the hospital’s medical superintendent in March 2025. However, BBC Eye’s investigation revealed that unsafe injection practices persisted for months after. During 32 hours of covert filming at THQ Taunsa in late 2025, we observed syringes reused on multiple-dose medicine vials on ten occasions, possibly spreading the virus within the drugs.

“Even with a new needle, the syringe body retains the virus, ensuring transmission regardless,” said Dr Altaf Ahmed, a leading infectious disease expert, after reviewing the hidden footage.

Staff, including a doctor, were seen administering injections without sterile gloves 66 times. A nurse also handled medical waste without proper protection. Ahmed noted that the footage exposed significant flaws in Pakistan’s infection control training. Despite visible guidelines on the hospital walls, these practices contradicted standard procedures.

When shown the evidence, Dr Qasim Buzdar, THQ Taunsa’s new medical superintendent, dismissed its authenticity. He suggested it might have been recorded before his tenure or staged, claiming his hospital was safe for children. Dr Gul Qaisrani, who first noticed the HIV surge in late 2024, reported that most of the 65 to 70 children diagnosed had received care at THQ Taunsa. He recalled a mother stating her daughter had been injected with the same syringe as an HIV-positive cousin, later used on others.

BBC Eye compiled data from the Punjab provincial AIDS screening program, private clinics, and a leaked police dataset to confirm 331 HIV-positive children in Taunsa. Among 97 families tested, only four mothers were HIV-positive, indicating mother-to-child transmission was rare. The provincial program listed “contaminated needle” as the transmission method for over half the cases, though the mode was unspecified for others.

By March 2025, the Punjab government reported 106 cases, leading to Chandio’s suspension. Yet within three months, Chandio resumed working with children as a senior officer at a nearby health center. He told BBC Eye he acted swiftly upon learning of the first HIV case at THQ Taunsa, denying the hospital’s role in the outbreak. Chandio was replaced by Buzdar, who continues to defend the facility’s safety.