KARACHI: Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho was informed on October 28 that the spread of HIV in Sindh had reached an “extremely alarming” level, with 3,995 registered HIV-positive children in the province.
A high-level meeting on the alarming rise of HIV cases across Sindh was chaired by the health minister. She was briefed by officials that more than 600,000 quack doctors are operating in Sindh, 40 per cent of them in Karachi alone.
The officials said that major causes of the spread of HIV include unregulated and unethical medical practices, unsafe blood transfusions, illegal clinics, unregistered blood banks, re-use and repackaging of syringes, contaminated injections, cannula centres, reuse of razors by barbers, sale of hospital waste, unscreened blood, and unsafe dental tools.
The minister issued strict directives to all SSPs and deputy commissioners to immediately shut down illegal health facilities and take decisive action against quackery and unsafe medical practices.
She ordered mandatory screening of pregnant women to prevent any mother-to-child virus transmission.
She instructed the Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC) and police to ensure that sealed healthcare units would not re-open.
The minister also directed that sale of hospital waste must be stopped immediately, and a complete list of licensed blood banks be issued, while unregistered blood banks should be closed without delay.
She warned that compromised blood screening poses a deadly risk, while unhygienic dental procedures, unsafe circumcision practices, and exposure to infected waste put thousands of children especially garbage pickers at risk.
Dr Pechuho stressed that people using drugs and other vulnerable groups must not be harassed, but supported through awareness and prevention, as they are patients deserving medical protection, not exploitation.
She instructed the SHCC to strengthen oversight at the district level and warned that unsealing of facilities involved in illegal medical practices will not be tolerated.
Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2025.