Pakistan's Hepatitis Crisis: 600K Quack Doctors Fuel Viral Surge

"The healthcare system of Pakistan is currently in such a state that it sometimes punishes citizens for seeking treatment. Many people walk into a hospital seeking affordable medical care and, unbeknownst to them, walk out carrying a highly dangerous viral infection. More often than not, they find out too late. The reuse of syringes, unsafe blood transfusions and improper sterilisation practices are unfortunately alarmingly common. This negligence has propelled Pakistan to the top of global rankings for Hepatitis C (HCV), with 9.8 to 10 million cases," an editorial in Pakistan's leading daily The Express Tribune mentioned.

"Combined with Hepatitis B (HBV), between 13.8 and 15 million Pakistanis are believed to be living with either virus, and only 25 to 30 per cent are aware of it. The abnormally high number of cases is a direct result of an unchecked medical culture which allows for over 600,000 quack doctors to operate in Pakistan. Often unlicensed, these clinics prioritise profits over patients' safety and end up exposing millions of people to a deadly infection," it added.

The HCV directly affects the liver and its symptoms can take years to materialise. Until the symptoms are detected, patient's liver would have suffered enough damage to be at risk of scarring, failure or cancer. Many people in Pakistan find it difficult to access basic outpatient treatment and expecting them to come to hospital for unprompted and regular medical checkups or screening tests can be wishful thinking, the newspaper stated.

Pakistan launched a programme for the elimination of HCV by 2050 in 2025. However, Pakistan government has a pattern of identifying problems only to abandon them like the crackdown launched in a hospital of Punjab province which was responsible for 331 children getting infected with HIV, The Express Tribune detailed.

An investigative documentary has recently revealed "serious malpractice" in the children's ward of a government hospital in Pakistan's Punjab province.

In 2025, Tehsil Headquarters Hospital (THQ) in Taunsa was connected to an outbreak of HIV among children. At the time, Punjab province authorities had announced that a crackdown will be initiated and suspended the Medical Superintendent of THQ in March of that year. However, a few months later, secret filming by 'BBC Eye Investigations' found that lives of children were still being put at risk, the British broadcaster revealed.

Filmed secretly over few weeks, the BBC investigation revealed repeated and serious violation of basic infection control. The video footage showcases nurses injecting patients through their clothes, giving dirty syringes for re-use and unqualified workers injecting child after child from a blood-contaminated vial of liquid medicine.

"The BBC's undercover filming also captures wider problems: staff handling medical waste with bare hands, syringes and needles left exposed, and unqualified volunteers - who are officially banned from the children's ward - operating without supervision. Staff shortages and supply problems appear to be contributing to the situation. In some cases, families are asked to buy their own medicines. Under pressure, staff reuse equipment or share medication between patients to make limited supplies last," a press released issued by the British broadcaster stated.

According to BBC, at least 331 children in Taunsa tested positive for HIV between November 2024-October 2025. Of their parents who also agreed to be tested, fewer than one in 20 tested positive for HIV. Infections continued even after the government's announcement in March last year that crackdown will be launched.

- IANS