Karachi: Sindh Employees’ Social Security Institution (SESSI) constituted an inquiry committee to probe in the matter of HIV cases reported at the Social Security Landhi Hospital.
The Commissioner SESSI Hadi Bakhsh Kalhoro, in a statement issued here on Tuesday, informed that the five member committee was constituted on direction of Sindh Minister for Labour, Human Resources and Social Security, Saeed Ghani, to review all the cases and the overall situation and determine individual or institutional responsibility.
The committee, headed by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Naila Zaheer, included Medical Officers Dr. Ashraf, Dr. Rashid Hassan Naqvi, and Dr. Tanveer Qadir Khanzada, as well as Deputy Director (Audit) Muhammad Tahir.
The inquiry committee would investigate matters concerning confirmed HIV cases, laboratory and screening tests, hospital staff, and SESSI workers and their families, and submit its detailed report within seven days.
The Commissioner SESSI informed that the committee would examine epidemiological links between the reported cases and investigate the potential sources of infection. It would also review injection practices and the use of disposable syringes or needles; inquire into the procurement and availability of medicines and disposable items; and assess the implementation of biomedical waste management, Standard Operating Procedures, and Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) protocols at SS Landhi Hospital.
The committee would compile data on the affected children and their parents and submit a detailed report containing findings and specific recommendations to improve the hospital’s overall operations.