Children Infected: Pakistan Hospital's Deadly Practices Exposed

An investigation has uncovered a severe HIV outbreak in Taunsa, Pakistan, where 331 children tested positive for the virus between November 2024 and October 2025. The outbreak is linked to unsafe injection practices at THQ Taunsa hospital, including the reuse of syringes on multi-dose vials on at least ten occasions over eight months. Despite assurances of a "massive crackdown" and the suspension of the hospital's medical superintendent in March 2025, dangerous procedures continued.

Undercover footage captured staff, including doctors, administering injections without sterile gloves and reusing syringes, even with new needles, risking viral transmission. Experts confirmed that the back part of the syringe could retain the virus. Local doctors first noticed the rise in cases in late 2024, with many children having received treatment at THQ Taunsa.

Although the hospital's new superintendent denied the footage's authenticity, a leaked joint mission report from April 2025 highlighted similar concerning conditions in the pediatric emergency room. This report also noted missing medications and neglected hand hygiene. Experts point to systemic issues like a cultural preference for injections and medicine shortages contributing to these dangerous practices. Similar outbreaks have occurred previously in Pakistan, such as in Ratodero in 2019.