Islamabad: A child and an adult in Islamabad were allegedly exposed to HIV last month after infected blood and components were issued by the blood bank of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences due to negligence and procedural failures, senior officials and experts said, warning that such incidents continue to fuel the spread of HIV in Pakistan.
In the first case, two components of HIV positive blood, fresh frozen plasma and platelets, were issued and transfused to a child from Azad Kashmir at PIMS when the HIV status of the blood bag was not entered into the blood bank software. The HIV positive result was only recorded manually in a register.
“Blood bank staff realised the error after the components had been issued and transfused, but the treating doctors and the child’s parents were not informed. Red cells from the same blood bag were not transfused,” an insider, who requested anonymity, said.
In the second case, a whole blood bag was received from the private Jamila Sultana blood bank without its screening results for HIV and other infectious markers. As per routine practice, Jamila Sultana assured the results would be shared later.
“Without waiting for the reports, PIMS staff prepared three components from the blood bag and issued platelets to an adult patient during the peak of dengue season. When the screening results came back positive, the matter was hushed up and the patient and attendants were not told,” the insider further claimed.
Experts say these incidents reflect a wider pattern of negligence in blood banks that is contributing to the rise of HIV. More than 10,000 new HIV infections had been detected across Pakistan by the end of October 2025, and specialists warn that the virus is now spreading in the general population through poor infection control and unsafe transfusion practices.
They said there is little oversight or accountability in blood banks, many of which continue to violate basic screening and safety protocols.
Officials and experts also highlighted that the sale of blood and blood components has become a common and dangerous practice as technicians reportedly split one blood bag into two by adding normal saline to double the quantity. Both bags are then issued or sold, but with diluted haemoglobin and reduced quality.
Another method involves hospital staff generating fake urgent request slips to obtain blood bags even when no such patient exists or requires transfusion. Payments are made through mobile transfers to unrelated accounts to avoid records and traceability.
The favour culture within the system is another concern. Some diagnostic companies are said to win influence inside blood banks by offering favours such as air conditioners, renovation of premises and even foreign trips.
“At PIMS, there is no permanent in charge of the blood bank and the current head is on deputation from the Punjab government. Two of the staff responsible for daily operations are not government employees and are allegedly on the payroll of a private diagnostic company, raising concerns of conflict of interest,” they added.
Regulation of blood banks is also very weak. Islamabad has the Safe Blood Ordinance 2002 and Rules 2004 under which the Islamabad Blood Transfusion Authority was created. However, the authority is not functional.
“The Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority carried out some inspections in 2023 and 2024 but stopped after a change in management,” officials in the ministry of health said, claiming that blood bank regulation does not fall under IHRA’s mandate under its 2018 Act, leaving a regulatory gap.
Experts say blood banks remain a major source of transfusion transmitted infections in Pakistan, including HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis and malaria. They said strengthening oversight of blood transfusion services should be a government priority.
They noted that Islamabad’s Regional Blood Centre, built and equipped at a cost of Rs 480 million with support from the German government to ensure safe and centralised blood screening for the federal capital, remains unused despite having the capacity to meet the city’s entire blood demand.
Islamabad records around 80,000 blood donations a year. PIMS alone handles about 40,000, Shifa International around 15,000 and Polyclinic about 9,500, making them the city’s three largest blood banks.
Public health experts said that unless blood transfusion services are supervised and regulated and centralised screening becomes mandatory, more patients will continue to be exposed to life threatening infections.
When contacted, Dr Farwa Sijjeel, Incharge of the PIMS Blood Bank, rejected the allegations and said all blood products and records are properly maintained. She said every HIV positive blood bag is recorded and details are immediately shared with the PIMS HIV clinic.
“A child from Azad Kashmir who was reported HIV positive had received blood and components that were screened negative by our Allinity analyser,” she said. “The child may have received injections or undergone dental procedures at a local clinic, so a detailed history is required before drawing any conclusion.”
She said around 100 blood products are issued daily to thalassaemia and haemophilia patients at PIMS and all regular recipients have remained HIV negative for years. She added that a proper medical inquiry is needed before making any judgement.
She said all blood products transfused at PIMS are screened and documented in the patient’s medical record and can be verified at any time. She urged that other possible sources of infection, including unsafe syringes, drip sets and dental or clinical procedures in the child’s native area of Azad Kashmir, should also be investigated before drawing conclusions.
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