{"id":47998,"date":"2026-04-16T18:04:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T18:04:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/?p=47998"},"modified":"2026-04-16T18:04:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T18:04:27","slug":"na-panel-takes-alarm-at-taunsa-hiv-cases-seeks-detailed-briefing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/?p=47998","title":{"rendered":"NA panel takes alarm at Taunsa HIV cases, seeks detailed briefing"},"content":{"rendered":"
The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSR&C) on Thursday termed the rising HIV cases in the country, particularly in Taunsa tehsil, alarming and directed that a detailed briefing be presented at the next meeting.<\/p>\n

Highlighting the situation in Taunsa, where 331 cases had been reported, the committee sought clarification on the matter.<\/p>\n

In 2025, a Tehsil Headquarter Hospital in Taunsa was linked to an HIV outbreak among children. Despite Punjab authorities pledging a crackdown, on Monday, BBC investigations revealed that unsafe practices continued to put children at risk.<\/p>\n

The committee today met under the chairmanship of MNA Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani\u00a0to deliberate on key issues concerning medical education, public health challenges and regulatory reforms.<\/p>\n

Read More: Lecturer arrested in student suicide case<\/p>\n

Expressing serious concern over reported deaths, including suicide cases, in medical colleges, particularly in Punjab and Mirpur Khas, the committee directed the ministry to submit a detailed report on such incidents over the past years and to ensure that thorough inquiries were conducted and corrective measures implemented.<\/p>\n

The matter was taken up by the committee a week after a third-year medical student allegedly committed suicide at her home in Mirpurkhas district by shooting herself in the head with a gun. Her family had blamed a teacher and some of her male colleagues at Ibn-e-Sina University, Mirpurkhas, for harassment and blackmail, which prompted her to take such an extreme step.<\/p>\n

During today’s session, the NA body also directed the ministry to strengthen its inspection mechanisms and to take provincial departments on board before finalising key policies.<\/p>\n

The committee reviewed matters related to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), including the ministry\u2019s revised policy for conducting future MDCAT examinations. It was informed that MDCAT exams would be held soon after the conclusion of all FSC boards and Cambridge examinations nationwide to avoid delays.<\/p>\n

The chairman directed the ministry and PMDC to finalise and announce the schedule well in advance to enable students across the country to prepare accordingly. The committee also sought a comprehensive update on vacant seats, seat allocation and student admissions.<\/p>\n

The minister informed the committee that approximately 1,100 seats had initially remained vacant despite extended deadlines. However, following coordinated efforts by the ministry, PMDC and the committee, nearly 98 per cent of seats had been filled, benefiting around 1,000 students.<\/p>\n

The committee appreciated the Ministry of NHSR&C and the PMDC for effectively addressing the issue and ensuring optimal utilisation of available seats.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, the body discussed the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council Ordinance, 2025, and recommended that the bill be passed after incorporating necessary amendments.<\/p>\n

Also Read: PMDC seeks report on female student’s death<\/p>\n

The meeting was attended by MNAs Zahra Wadood Fatemi, Farah Naz Akbar, Dr Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Dr Shaista Khan, Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan, Aliya Kamran, Dr Darshan, Sabheen Ghoury, Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz and Chaudhry Muhammad Shahbaz Babar (virtually).<\/p>\n

The health minister,\u00a0along with senior officials from the Ministry of NHSR&C, PMDC, and the Ministry of Law and Justice and its attached departments, also participated in the meeting.<\/p>\n

On April 12, police arrested a university teacher after an almost two-day-long sit-in led by the parents of the deceased on the Mirpurkhas-Hyderabad road.<\/p>\n

Police said that lecturer Abid Laghari, the main accused among five persons named in an FIR, was arrested on charges of creating circumstances that led to the suicide of 21-year-old Fahmeeda Laghari.<\/p>\n

The PMDC\u00a0also expressed deep concern and warned of strict action against any faculty member or institution found responsible.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSR&C) on Thursday termed the rising HIV cases in the country, particularly in Taunsa tehsil, alarming and directed that a detailed briefing be presented at the next meeting. Highlighting the situation in Taunsa, where 331 cases had been reported, the committee sought clarification […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-english-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47998","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=47998"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47998\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=47998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=47998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=47998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}