Lawyer seeks inquiry commission into HIV cases at Karachi SESSI hospitals

KARACHI: Tariq Mansoor, advocate representing children affected by HIV infections at Social Security hospitals in Karachi, on Monday called for the formation of a high-powered federal commission of inquiry to investigate the reported cases and determine the causes of the outbreak.

In a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other relevant authorities, the lawyer urged the federal government to establish an independent commission under the Pakistan Commission of Inquiry Act, 2017, to investigate the reported HIV infections at Kulsum Bai Valika Social Security Hospital in SITE and Landhi Social Security Hospital.

According to the letter, approximately 169 to more than 200 children were reportedly affected at Kulsum Bai Valika Hospital, with around nine deaths reported. The lawyer also referred to more than 16 reported HIV cases at Landhi Social Security Hospital.

Mansoor called for an impartial investigation into the incidents, alleging serious negligence, mismanagement and possible irregularities at the hospitals and within the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (SESSI).

He urged the authorities to conduct a comprehensive forensic audit of SESSI, its hospitals and dispensaries covering the past 20 years. He also called for the preservation and examination of public records, including medical files, medicines, medical equipment, supplies and inventory, to establish the facts surrounding the reported infections.

The lawyer further demanded that the federal government declare a medical emergency across public-sector hospitals and primary healthcare facilities in Sindh, arguing that an independent investigation was necessary to establish accountability and prevent further infections.

In his letter, Mansoor alleged that inadequate screening of patients treated at the hospitals between 2024 and August 2026 may have contributed to the spread of HIV. He called for an investigation into whether relevant laws, infection-control protocols and international health standards had been followed.

He also urged the authorities to examine compliance with the Sindh Regulation and Control of Disposable Syringes Act, 2010, and determine whether failures in infection prevention and control had contributed to the reported cases.

The lawyer maintained that an independent inquiry was needed to identify those responsible, assess the circumstances surrounding the deaths and determine whether timely medical intervention could have prevented further harm.

MQM seeks independent inquriy commission into HIV cases at Valika Hospital

Earlier, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) MPA Muhammad Aamir Siddiqui submitted a resolution notice to the secretary of the Sindh Assembly, calling for an independent commission to investigate the reported HIV cases at Kulsum Bai Valika Hospital.