Patient dies, 30 others test positive for HIV at Nishtar’s dialysis unit in Multan

LAHORE: In what appeared to be a distressing incident, a kidney-failure patient died while 30 others contracted Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDs) infections during dialysis treatment at the Nishtar Hospital, Multan.

The largest public sector hospital in south Punjab came to the limelight in respect of gross negligence when the patients were reportedly put on three dialysis machines meant for HIV positive cases [patients].

An official privy to the information said that the patient who breathed his last due to onset of the HIV/AIDs complications was identified as Shahnawaz (40).

He said the patient was under treatment at the nephrology department of the Nishtar Hospital where the doctors had immediately contacted the institute’s top management to refer him to the isolation ward for immediate care soon after he was tested positive for HIV/AIDs after the completion of a dialysis session.

Panel formed to probe into how patients were put on dialysis machines meant for HIV positive cases

The official said the administration rejected the requests of the treating doctors claiming the isolation wards were designated for the patients suffering from the infectious disease like dengue and others.

Quoting some medical experts, he said the HIV/AIDS spread by contact with certain bodily fluids of an infected person, most commonly during unprotected sex or HIV medicine, or through infected injections / equipment.

Once carried, the virus attacks cells that help the body fight infection, making a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases.

It was suspected that the above-mentioned patient carried the virus from the dialysis machines meant for HIV positive cases and died of multiple complications late on Tuesday, the official said.

He said Nishtar Medical University (NMU) Registrar Prof Ghulam Abbas was the head of the department of nephrology unit where the incident took place.

While sharing further information, the official said panic gripped the doctors, nurses and other employees of the department concerned when it transpired that the HIV/AIDS infections transmitted to 30 other patients, the highest number of the persons got infected in a public sector hospital in one go.

The emergence of such a large number of HIV-AIDS infected patients has put the entire staff members including doctors and nurses of the nephrology department at risk as they have been in contact with the infected patients during the treatment process.

He said the matter was first reported on Oct 26 but the head of the nephrology unit and senior management of the institute hushed it up, taking into custody the admission and treatment record of all the infected patients to avoid action.

It came to the limelight following the death of the patient on Tuesday night, prompting the hospital’s top management to launch an investigation.

He said the incident was being dubbed as a worst case of negligence and blatant violation of the SOPs which had clearly defined the patient management and treatment of those coming with kidney failure for dialysis.

As per the SOPs, each patient requiring dialysis was to undergo screening test procedures to make sure that they were not contracting any infectious disease before putting them on the dialysis machines.

He said there were three designated dialysis machines for the HIV/AIDS and one for the Hepatitis B patients at the nephrology unit.

It was the prime responsibility of the nephrology department head and other medics to make sure that the dialysis machines were safe for the patients.

To a question, the official said as all the doctors, nurses, paramedics and other employees of the nephrology have been exposed to the infections (HIV-AIDs), they rushed to the lab of the institute for screening tests.

NMU Vice Chancellor Prof Mehnaz Khakwani told Dawn a committee comprising senior medical teachers and admin officers has been constituted to launch a thorough probe into the incident.

She said the committee has started its work on this matter and the findings are awaited to further proceed accordingly.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024