PM orders legal action against individuals, hospitals involved in their use or found negligent in preventing their use
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chairs a meeting to review the measures taken to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. PHOTO: PMO
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday ordered authorities to impose a nationwide ban on the manufacture and use of substandard syringes as part of efforts to curb the spread of infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C.
The directive came during a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister to review the measures taken to prevent the spread of communicable diseases, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
The meeting included Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Health Minister Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath, Justice Minister Mansoor Awan, Global Fund representative Izaskun Gaviria, public health experts, representatives of the Ministry of National Health Services, DRAP and senior officials.
Prime Minister Shehbaz ordered legal action against individuals and hospitals involved in the use of non-compliant syringes or found criminally negligent in preventing their use.
He also directed the formation of a committee of health experts to develop recommendations for combating infectious diseases, instructing it to consult the provincial governments before finalizing its proposals.
The Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Law to work with relevant institutions to propose changes to the legal and regulatory framework where necessary. “A comprehensive national strategy and its effective implementation is the only solution to this problem,” the prime minister said, according to the statement.
Read: SHC demands ‘comprehensive’ report from Sindh government in 2 weeks on reported HIV outbreak at Karachi hospital
He also directed the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan to consult the medical device industry and propose policy measures aimed at permanently preventing the spread of infectious diseases through injection drug use.
The Prime Minister said that the support of international partners remains essential to the ongoing efforts to combat communicable diseases and stressed the need to focus on the manufacture of medical equipment and internationally recognized training for health workers.
The meeting was briefed on measures taken by the special task force, which has been set up on the Prime Minister’s instructions, as well as initiatives by the Ministry of Health Services to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
The directive comes a day after a petition filed in the Sindh High Court alleged that the HIV outbreak at the Kulsum Bai Valika (KBV) Hospital in the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) area was caused by reuse of contaminated disposable syringes and gross medical negligence, resulting in the spread of infection to over 200 children, with several reported fatalities.
Furthermore, a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary and other senior officials, dated March 31 and submitted by the lawyer, shared with Express Pakinomistnoted that the outbreak initially infected 84 children between November 2025 and February 2026.
