In brief
A recent investigation revealed unsafe injection practices at THQ Taunsa Hospital in Punjab, Pakistan, which are believed to have contributed to a significant HIV outbreak among children. Despite previous government interventions, children continue to be at risk from reused syringes and inadequate medical protocols. The report highlights the stories of affected families, including Asma and her deceased brother Mohammed, capturing the broader implications of neglect in medical ethics and public health safety in the region.
Warning: This story contains details that readers may find distressing
Mohammed Amin was eight when he died shortly after testing positive for HIV.
His fevers were so bad that he insisted on sleeping in the rain, and he writhed in pain like he'd been thrown in hot oil, says his mother, Sughra.
He used to fight with me, but he also loved me, 10-year-old Asma says as she kneels at her younger brother's graveside.
Not long after her brother contracted the virus, Asma was also diagnosed with HIV. Her family believes both children contracted it from injections with contaminated needles during routine medical treatment at THQ Taunsa Hospital.
They are two of the 331 children that BBC Eye has identified as testing positive for HIV in the city between November 2024 and October 2025.
After a doctor at a private clinic linked the outbreak to the hospital, local authorities promised a massive crackdown and suspended the hospital's medical superintendent in March 2025 – but a BBC Eye investigation has revealed that dangerous injection practices continued months later.
During 32 hours of undercover filming at THQ Taunsa, we witnessed syringes being reused on multi-dose vials of medicine, potentially contaminating the drugs inside. This created a clear risk of viral transmission.
Despite signs on the hospital walls showing safe injection practices, a shocking number of injections were administered without sterile gloves. This broke multiple principles of safe medical procedures.
When shown the undercover footage, the hospital's new medical superintendent, Dr. Qasim Buzdar, denied its authenticity, attributing it to potential staging or suggesting it was filmed prior to his tenure.
This investigation highlights not only systemic failures in infection control protocols but also the troubling reality of medical negligence amid rising HIV cases among children in Pakistan.
