By our correspondent
KARACHI: A father told the Sindh High Court that he was borrowing money at interest to pay for the treatment of his child living with HIV, saying his family had even sold household belongings to cover medical expenses.
The statement was made during a hearing of a case concerning the transmission of HIV among children being treated at Karachi’s Welfare Hospital, also referred to in court proceedings as the Wilika Hospital.
During the hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer told the court that 1,200 children in Sindh had been diagnosed with HIV. He said nine children had died while the petition remained pending.
An affected child’s father told the court that families were struggling to meet the cost of treatment and had been forced to borrow money on interest. “We have even sold our charpoys to pay for the children’s treatment,” he said, adding that they had received no financial assistance.
The hearing was also disrupted by loud arguments and commotion in the courtroom, prompting the judges to leave the courtroom and move to their chambers.
The case concerns allegations surrounding the transmission of HIV among children receiving treatment at the Karachi hospital and the difficulties faced by affected families in obtaining medical care and financial support.
The proceedings highlighted the financial burden on families caring for children living with HIV, as well as concerns raised in court over the number of affected children and deaths reported during the pendency of the case.
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