An undercover investigation by BBC News has exposed widespread infection control failures at THQ Hospital Taunsa in Punjab, Pakistan, where staff were filmed reusing syringes on children.
Data compiled by BBC Eye from provincial screening programs, private clinics, and leaked police records identified at least 331 children in Taunsa who tested positive for HIV between November 2024 and October 2025.
In more than half of these cases, medical records cited a "contaminated needle" as the likely mode of transmission.
Footage recorded over 32 hours inside the government facility captured staff using the same syringes across multiple patients and drawing medicine from multi-dose vials for repeated use.
One eight-year-old boy, Mohammed Amin, died shortly after testing positive for the virus. His sister, Asma, also tested positive following routine treatment at the hospital.
Systemic hygiene failures
Dr. Gul Qaisrani, a local physician, first flagged the crisis in late 2024 after noticing an unusual rise in pediatric HIV cases at his clinic. He stated that "almost all" of the 65 to 70 children he diagnosed had previously received treatment at THQ Taunsa.
Microbiologist Dr. Altaf Ahmed noted that even if a new needle is attached to a contaminated device, the syringe body can still carry the virus. He described footage of a nurse retrieving a used syringe for reuse as a violation of "every principle" of safe injection.
The investigation also documented staff administering injections without gloves, leaving used needles on countertops, and failing to dispose of medical waste properly.
Analysis of 97 families suggests the outbreak was not driven by maternal transmission. Only four of the 97 mothers tested were HIV-positive, while the mother of Mohammed and Asma tested negative.
Hospital authorities have denied any wrongdoing. Medical superintendent Dr. Qasim Buzdar questioned the authenticity of the footage, suggesting it might have been staged or recorded before his tenure.
The Punjab government suspended the hospital’s head in March 2025 after cases exceeded 100. However, the BBC investigation indicates that unsafe practices continued months after that intervention.
