Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh on Sunday expressed serious concern over the diagnosis of HIV in 729 children across Sindh, including Karachi, during the first six months of the current year, calling it a public health crisis that requires immediate government intervention.
In a statement, Mr Sheikh said that the Sindh government had completely failed in the health sector and had put the lives of innocent children at risk. He claimed that more than 90 percent of the affected children belonged to Sindh, which, according to him, reflected the poor performance of the Pakistan Peoples Party-led provincial government.
He alleged that unsafe injection practices, inadequate infection control measures and the deterioration of the healthcare system had allowed HIV to spread at an alarming rate, taking on epidemic proportions in the province.
The PTI leader demanded that the Sindh government immediately declare a health emergency in response to the growing number of HIV cases and take strict action against those responsible for negligence and violations of healthcare standards.
He further called for urgent province-wide HIV screening of children, the implementation of safe injection protocols and effective medical monitoring systems to protect lives and prevent further transmission of the virus.
Sheikh also criticized the Sindh Healthcare Commission, alleging that its failure to regulate healthcare facilities had contributed to an increase in unqualified medical practitioners and unauthorized clinics operating across the province.
He urged the provincial authorities to take immediate and effective measures to address the situation and safeguard public health.