Unsafe Needle Disposal Found at Karachi HIV Outbreak Hospital

The Sindh Healthcare Commission has identified unsafe needle-handling and waste-disposal practices at Karachi’s Valika Hospital, a facility already under scrutiny after an HIV outbreak involving children. The findings were reported after a commission team revisited the SITE-area hospital to assess whether earlier recommendations on infection control had been implemented.

According to the inspection, used syringe needles were being removed manually rather than being deposited directly into designated sharps containers. The team found that staff could not clearly explain where the detached needles were being discarded, raising alarm over possible gaps in the hospital’s medical waste chain.

The development is serious because Valika Hospital has been linked to an HIV outbreak in which at least 78 children were found infected. A later screening exercise in the surrounding locality also detected 120 additional HIV cases, deepening public concern over how infection-prevention systems were being maintained at and around the facility.

In its observations, the healthcare commission said the absence of a clear disposal trail for removed needles pointed to major weaknesses in hospital waste management. The inspection team also noted that, although an Infection Prevention and Control Committee had been created, several essential safeguards were still missing or incomplete.

The commission found that staff had not received formal infection-control training and that the hospital could not provide written policies or guidelines on the matter during the visit. Inspectors were also unable to confirm whether the autoclave was functioning properly, while nursing and operation theatre staff were reportedly not available at duty points when the team carried out its assessment.

Medical waste segregation was also found below the required standard. The team observed that waste was not being handled in line with infection-prevention protocols and that employees had limited understanding of safe disposal procedures. The private contractor responsible for collecting and removing medical waste was also reported to lack proper training.

The hospital’s management was noted to have taken some visible steps toward correcting earlier deficiencies. However, the inspection also pointed to weak coordination between management and nursing staff, along with resistance from some employees, which appeared to slow the implementation of corrective measures.

The case has wider implications for public health governance in Sindh. Hospitals that handle injections, blood sampling, surgical procedures and laboratory work must follow strict infection-control rules, because unsafe syringe handling can expose patients, staff and the wider community to preventable transmission risks.

Earlier inquiries into the HIV outbreak had already flagged lapses in infection-prevention practices and the handling of single-use syringes. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah was informed this week that 37 officers and officials, including serving and former administrators, doctors, nurses, laboratory personnel and support staff, had been suspended or issued show-cause notices.

The healthcare commission is expected to send a detailed report and recommended course of action to the authorities for urgent rectification. The next steps will be closely watched by affected families, health officials and the wider public, as accountability and enforceable safety standards remain central to restoring trust in the hospital system.