An undercover investigation by the BBC has captured footage showing medical staff at a Pakistani hospital reusing syringes and administering injections without gloves, practices linked to a recent HIV outbreak among children. The hospital’s director has dismissed the footage as fabricated, despite mounting evidence of unsafe medical procedures.
The video, filmed covertly at the hospital in Larkana, Sindh province, shows multiple instances of staff using the same syringe on different patients and handling needles without protective gear. Health officials confirm this facility was at the center of a 2019 HIV outbreak that infected over 1,100 children, many under age 5.
‘These practices violate every known infection control protocol,’ said a WHO official speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter. Pakistan’s health ministry reports syringe reuse accounts for 17% of new HIV cases nationally.
Local activists allege corruption enables these violations. ‘Hospital administrators take kickbacks from suppliers to purchase fewer syringes,’ claimed a Larkana-based health advocate interviewed by Al Jazeera.
The Sindh Health Department has pledged an investigation, but analysts note similar promises followed previous scandals. With donor-funded HIV programs set to expand, experts warn systemic reforms are needed to prevent further outbreaks.