A mind-numbing case of medical apathy has come to light from Pakistan where police have arrested a doctor for allegedly using contaminated syringes which led to as many as 90 people, including 65 children, contracting HIV virus.
This appalling matter was brought to the attention of health authorities from the southern city of Larkana just last week. A preliminary probe led police to a common denominator, a doctor who treated all those infected by the deadly virus which causes AIDS.
Going by reports, the matter came to light only after 18 children living on the outskirts of Larkana were tested positive for HIV. The discovery prompted a mass screening exercise by health officials which led them to dozens of other patients who also claimed to affected by the virus.
Going further, concerned authorities confirmed that this was an outbreak. While an even larger testing drive has been launched in the region, reports confirm that the erring doctor has been arrested.
Local police chief Kamran Nawaz told news agency AFP that the doctor has been arrested on the basis of complaints by health authorities. In fact, Sindh province’s health minister Azra Pechuho has also confirmed the news of the doctor’s arrest. The minister added that blood samples taken from parents of the infected children tested negative for the HIV virus. Meanwhile, a district health officer told confirmed to the news agency that more than 90 people have been tested positive for the HIV virus, including 65 children.
A similar outbreak was reported from Hyderabad where about 72 people had contracted the virus in 2017 and 100 in 2016 owing to reuse of and exposure to used/contaminated syringes and blood transfusion. Over 50 people were infected with the HIV virus which leads to AIDS in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh last year. It was later found out that the doctor responsible for the outbreak in Unnao was one Rajendra Yadav, also referred to as the ‘bicycling doctor’. Reports by sections of the media had asserted that Yadav went from door to door on his bicycle, claiming to cure any medical issue merely for Rs 10.
Source: OccupyGh.com
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