A recent investigative documentary uncovered serious malpractice in the children’s ward of a government hospital in Punjab, Pakistan. The Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Taunsa was linked to an HIV outbreak among children in 2025, leading to the suspension of the Medical Superintendent. Despite promises of a crackdown by provincial authorities, undercover footage by ‘BBC Eye Investigations’ revealed ongoing risks to children’s lives.
The documentary, filmed discreetly over several weeks, exposed repeated and severe breaches of basic infection control protocols. Nurses were seen administering injections through clothing, reusing dirty syringes, and unqualified personnel injecting children from a blood-contaminated medicine vial. The footage also highlighted broader issues such as staff handling medical waste without protection, shortages of supplies, and unqualified volunteers working unsupervised in violation of regulations.
BBC’s investigation reported that 331 children in Taunsa tested positive for HIV between November 2024 and October 2025, with a low rate of infection among parents. Despite government assurances of a crackdown, infections persisted. Hospital officials, however, have refuted the allegations, with the current Medical Superintendent suggesting the footage predates his tenure or may have been staged.
In the midst of these revelations, former Medical Superintendent Dr. Tayyab Chandio, previously suspended during the initial crackdown, has been reinstated at another government facility, as per reports from Pakistan’s ‘Business Recorder’. The region continues to witness new HIV cases among children, with 19 cases reported in the last four months and a tragic toll of nine child deaths due to HIV in Taunsa.
