By Urdu Report Editorial Team
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved the immediate suspension of eight employees over the deaths of 14 newborn babies in a fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad.
He also approved departmental and criminal proceedings against those named in the interim report of the inquiry committee.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting on the PIMS fire incident, where the inquiry committee presented its interim report.
The report held PIMS Executive Director Professor Dr Imran Sikandar, Joint Executive Directors Dr Mutahir Shah and Dr Owais Ali Shah, Head of the Neonatal Department Professor Dr Saadia Riaz, Senior Registrar Dr Naghma, Dr Nousheela Amjad, PIMS Assistant Director Security Muhammad Usman, and CDA Emergency Services Director General Dr Abdul Rehman responsible for the incident.
The prime minister directed that criminal proceedings be initiated against those responsible without discrimination. Action was also approved against the security company deployed at the hospital and its officials.
Inquiry raises serious safety concerns
The briefing to the meeting found that PIMS did not have detailed standard operating procedures or staff training for dealing with fires and other emergencies.
Of the hospital’s 13 standard operating procedures, only two subsections mentioned fire or emergency situations. No supervisory staff member was on duty when the incident occurred.
According to the briefing, two nurses, a female security guard and a house officer were present in the ward when the fire broke out. The entire ward was engulfed in flames within just two minutes.
The investigation also found that the ward had no fire alarm or sprinkler system. Violations of World Health Organization rules relating to fire safety in neonatal wards were also identified.
Questions over emergency response
The inquiry committee was told that emergency services were called six minutes after the fire started, while the first emergency response arrived 15 minutes later.
The briefing said there was no designated officer at the hospital responsible for handling fire-related emergencies. Instead, the assistant director had been assigned the additional responsibility.
The meeting was also shown CCTV footage of the incident lasting approximately two minutes.
The report further noted that a fire had occurred at the PIMS nursing hostel in July, about a month before the tragedy. However, no significant progress was made afterward to improve safety measures at the hospital.
Sitara-e-Khidmat approved for nurse
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also approved the Sitara-e-Khidmat award for a nurse who risked her life to save a baby during the fire.
He directed that another nurse and the female security guard present in the ward be made officers on special duty and ordered further investigations.
The prime minister also directed the appointment of Dr Muhammad Salman, Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute of Health, as acting Executive Director of PIMS.
He ordered the immediate appointment of new officials in place of those removed from their positions.
