A Pakistani doctor has been arrested after allegedly infecting children with HIV by reusing old syringes.
Nearly 900 children have the virus in the town of Ratodero, but health officials said Dr Muzaffar Ghanghro is unlikely to be the sole source of the outbreak.
There are a total of 1100 HIV cases in the town, of which the majority are children.
Only a quarter of the 200,000 residents have been tested for the virus so far, and there are fears there could be hundreds more cases.
Doctor Ghanghro was one of the cheapest in the city, charging $NZ0.39 per visit.
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Imtiaz Jalbani had all six of his children treated by Dr Ghanghro, and said he saw the doctor look through a bin for a syringe, he told the New York Times.
Dr Ghanghro said he was using an old syringe because Jalbani was too poor to pay for a new one.
The doctor was arrested and charged with negligence and manslaughter, but maintains his innocence, telling the New York Times he has never reused syringes.
He has not yet been convicted and has since renewed his medical certificate.
Dr Ghanghro now works at a public hospital on the outskirts of Ratodero as a general practitioner.
Newshub.
