LAHORE: Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, expressed her anger over the recent HIV outbreak in Multan and demanded a progress report within 24 hours.
During a special meeting on health, Maryam Nawaz condemned the HIV outbreak among dialysis patients at Nishtar Hospital, calling it not only regrettable but also shameful. She also criticized the suspension of dialysis procedures due to a lack of funds, calling it unacceptable.
In response, the Chief Minister approved the launch of the ‘Chief Minister Dialysis Program Card,’ the first of its kind in Pakistan. Under the new program, funding for dialysis patients will be increased to Rs10 million per patient, with Rs8.5 million allocated for dialysis and Rs1.5 million for necessary tests for kidney disease patients.
She ordered that dialysis patients receive free tests and medications and emphasized that dialysis procedures should continue without interruption. Additionally, plans were made to establish more dialysis units across Punjab.
The Chief Minister instructed the Punjab Healthcare Commission to enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs) at dialysis centers throughout the province and proposed setting key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate the health department’s performance.
A progress report on the Nawaz Sharif Cancer Hospital was also presented, along with updates on the ongoing PIC-2 and Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology projects in Sargodha. Maryam Nawaz directed that PIC-2 be upgraded to a state-of-the-art facility, with the latest technology, equipment, and medicine for cardiac patients.
It is important to note that one patient has died, and 30 others contracted HIV/AIDS during dialysis treatment at Nishtar Hospital in Multan, where the virus was transmitted from dialysis machines intended for HIV-positive patients.
