Karachi: Sindh labour authorities have begun opening bank accounts to pay Rs40,000 a month to mothers of 157 HIV-positive children registered at two Sindh Employees’ Social Security Institution (SESSI) hospitals in Karachi, officials said.
Around 100 mothers of children registered at Kulsoom Bai Valika Social Security Hospital in SITE and 15 at the SESSI Postgraduate Teaching Hospital in Landhi have so far received ATM cards after their accounts were opened, the officials said.
Valika hospital officials said about 130 HIV-positive children are registered with the hospital. Accounts have been opened at Sindh Bank for around 100 mothers, who are expected to receive the money for their children’s nutrition and other necessities.
At Landhi, officials said about 27 HIV-positive children are registered. Accounts have been opened for around 15 mothers, who will also receive Rs40,000 a month.
The process is under way for all 157 children registered at the two hospitals. Officials could not say for how long the assistance would continue. Labour Minister Saeed Ghani had earlier said families would receive between Rs40,000 and Rs80,000 a month, depending on the number of affected children in a family.
The monthly assistance is separate from a Rs2 billion endowment fund approved by SESSI for the long-term treatment and welfare of affected children. At a governing body meeting on October 14, Ghani directed the institution to speed up the formation of a board to administer the fund and to prepare its rules and policy framework. Officials have not clarified whether the monthly payments will come from the endowment or a separate arrangement.
The Valika crisis first surfaced in October 2025, when six HIV-positive children were reported. An initial inquiry identified 16 children linked to the hospital’s paediatrics department and cited shortcomings in infection control.
These included weak supervision of sterilisation, improper disposal of biomedical waste, shortages of disposable supplies and possible mishandling of single-use equipment. A later inquiry reported 78 affected children and six deaths.
A wider screening campaign in and around Valika tested more than 10,500 people and found 120 HIV-positive cases, according to figures presented by Ghani. They included 81 children of registered SESSI employees, while 39 had no affiliation with registered employees.
The screening count, the inquiry’s figure of 78 children and the hospital’s current register of about 130 children refer to different records and groups, and the figures are not directly comparable.
The Sindh High Court later ordered an independent inquiry, observing that earlier reports had not adequately established the number of affected patients or the source and circumstances of transmission.
The committee was asked to examine possible reuse or improper handling of syringes and other equipment, infection-control practices and the responsibility of hospital staff and officials. The court order did not determine that every child now registered at either hospital acquired HIV there.
The Landhi cases prompted a separate investigation. Screening in and around the hospital detected 10 positive cases among 2,000 people tested. A later briefing reported 21 positives among more than 7,500 people screened. SESSI told a Senate committee that those identified in the Landhi screening had no previous treatment history at the hospital.
A five-member inquiry was tasked with reviewing laboratory results, injection practices, use of disposable syringes and infection-control arrangements.
The Sindh Health Department told the High Court that the 120 people identified through screening around Valika had been enrolled for free antiretroviral treatment, counselling and follow-up care. It said an antiretroviral therapy centre had also been set up at the hospital after the first cases were reported.
Ends