Islamabad, April 15 (NationPress) A recent investigative documentary has unveiled alarming malpractice within the children's ward of a government hospital located in Punjab, Pakistan. In 2025, the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital (THQ) in Taunsa was implicated in a significant outbreak of HIV among young patients. Following this, Punjab provincial authorities declared an initiative to address the issue and temporarily suspended the Medical Superintendent of THQ in March of that year. However, a few months later, undercover footage from 'BBC Eye Investigations' indicated that the safety of children remained compromised, as reported by the British broadcaster.

Secretly recorded over several weeks, the BBC investigation highlighted repeated and severe breaches of fundamental infection control protocols. The footage illustrates nurses administering injections through clothing, utilizing contaminated syringes, and unqualified individuals injecting multiple children with a blood-tainted vial of medication.

Furthermore, the BBC's covert filming revealed broader issues: staff members managing medical waste without protective gear, exposed syringes and needles, and unqualified volunteers—who are officially prohibited from the children's ward—operating unsupervised. The ongoing staff shortages and supply deficiencies seem to exacerbate the situation. In certain instances, families are compelled to procure their own medication. Under pressure, hospital staff are reusing equipment or sharing medications among patients to extend limited resources, according to a press release issued by the BBC.

According to the BBC, at least 331 children in Taunsa tested positive for HIV between November 2024 and October 2025. Among parents who consented to testing, less than one in twenty were found positive for HIV. Infections persisted even after the government’s announcement in March of the planned crackdown.

Despite the incriminating footage, officials at the hospital have denied any wrongdoing. Current Medical Superintendent Dr. Qasim Buzdar stated that the recordings might have been taken prior to his tenure or could have been “possibly staged.”

In a related development, former Medical Superintendent Dr. Tayyab Chandio, who was suspended during the initial government crackdown in March, has been reinstated at another government facility, as reported by Pakistan's 'Business Recorder.' Officials have stated that no legal findings inhibit his return to practice.

HIV cases among children continue to emerge in Taunsa. The BBC's press release noted that 19 new HIV cases have been reported in the last four months, with nine children having succumbed to the virus in Taunsa.