ISLAMABAD: The standing committees of both the Senate and National Assembly on health have expressed serious doubts over the CCTV footage related to the tragic fire at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), which resulted in the death of 14 newborns. Lawmakers suggested that the footage may have been tampered with or incomplete.
During a briefing to the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, chaired by Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti, Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal provided details about the inquiry into the incident. Kamal stated that the neonatal ward was completely consumed by flames in approximately two minutes.
Members of the committee voiced concerns that they had not been given the full inquiry report prior to the briefing, arguing that reviewing the report would have enabled more pointed questions. Committee member Masroor Ahsan criticized the handling of the investigation, raising questions about the accountability of the former PIMS executive director, who he claimed faced corruption allegations and was responsible for the deaths. Ahsan also alleged that the nursery’s doors were shut during the fire and called for the former director’s arrest.
Additionally, Ahsan pointed out that several hospital sections had been constructed with foreign aid, contradicting claims that PIMS had not received external assistance.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly Committee on Health, led by Dr. Mahesh Kumar, also scrutinized the incident. Kamal reported that he personally reviewed the CCTV footage after the incident and that the entire event lasted roughly 120 seconds.
The committee members questioned the completeness of the CCTV footage, noting that the interior of the neonatal nursery was not visible. They pointed out that footage showed a nurse entering the nursery but did not show her exit, raising suspicions about the footage’s authenticity. The chairman criticized the PIMS administration for failing to provide a clear explanation of the fire’s cause, citing contradictions in staff statements and suggesting that the fire spread extremely rapidly.
Questions were also raised regarding safety protocols at the nursery, including the absence of a biomedical engineer on site, the use of cylinders for medical gases, and the installation of portable air-conditioning units in the affected area.
Following the incident, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered the suspension of several officials, including PIMS Executive Director Professor Dr. Imran Sikandar, Joint Executive Directors Dr. Mutahir Shah and Dr. Owais Shah, and Neonatal Department head Professor Dr. Saadia Riaz. Other suspensions included Senior Registrar Dr. Naghma, Dr. Noshila Amjad, PIMS Assistant Director Security Muhammad Usman, and CDA Emergency Services Director General Dr. Abdul Rehman.
The committees reviewed CCTV footage of the fire, with Senator Nasir Butt raising concerns about its authenticity. He questioned how many staff members were present during the incident and pointed out that the footage appeared to be manipulated or edited, expressing doubts about how the nursery could have been destroyed in such a short span.
