By Imtiaz Hussain
SUKKUR: The Sindh Health Care Commission has sealed Al Saadat Blood Bank and Laboratory in Gambat and registered a case against its owner over allegations of supplying HIV contaminated blood that reportedly led to infections among children treated at the Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences, officials said.
According to reports, action was taken after several children in the pediatric ward of GIMS were diagnosed with HIV. The Health Care Commission launched an inquiry and visited the families of affected children to trace the source of blood used during treatment.
During the investigation, parents told officials that blood tests and laboratory services had been carried out at Al Saadat Blood Bank and Laboratory. They alleged that lab staff screened samples and issued blood bags used in transfusions at the hospital.
Acting on these statements, a team led by senior officials of the Sindh Health Care Commission inspected the facility. Officials said the laboratory was being run without qualified supervision and that no certified pathologist was present at the time of inspection. The lab was allegedly operated under an individual identified as Syed Qasim Ali Shah.
Assistant Director Farzand Ali Bozdar said preliminary findings suggested the laboratory supplied infected blood used in transfusions, which may have contributed to HIV infections among hospitalized children. He added that evidence had been forwarded to the provincial health minister and the commission’s chief executive.
Following the report, authorities sealed the laboratory and directed police to register a case. An FIR was lodged at Gambat police station under relevant sections of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The accused remains at large as police continue efforts to arrest him. Officials said investigations were ongoing to determine the extent of negligence and possible criminal involvement in the case.
