ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary Secretary for Health Nelson Azeem has said that 14 newborns who died at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) lost their lives after inhaling smoke during a fire incident, rather than being directly killed by the flames.
Speaking during a visit to PIMS on Wednesday, Azeem said the deceased infants had been identified and subsequently handed over to their families.
The PIMS administration suspended all duty and technical staff after reports emerged that personnel were allegedly absent from the neonatal ward when the fire broke out.
Sources said an investigation into the incident was underway, with a team from the National Forensic Science Agency collecting evidence from the site.
Preliminary findings suggested that the power supply was disrupted during the fire and that the emergency lighting system failed to activate. Initial statements recorded by the inquiry committee indicated that an incubator may have caught fire due to the oxygen supply.
A woman who witnessed the incident gave a contrasting account, claiming that neither doctors nor paramedical staff were present inside the ward when the fire erupted. She also said the door to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) was closed at the time.
PIMS Executive Director Rana Imran Iskandar, however, rejected the claim, saying two doctors, four nurses and other staff members were present in the ICU. He said one of the doctors managed to save a newborn’s life.
Iskandar maintained that the hospital’s fire safety system was operational and said 24 oxygen cylinders were available at the facility. He added that rescue teams encountered no major difficulty during the operation.
The PIMS chief said disciplinary action would be taken against anyone found responsible for negligence. He explained that access to the ward had been restricted because of previous incidents involving newborns being taken from hospitals.
PMA seeks accountability
The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Central has called for strict action against those responsible for the tragedy, demanding that officials found negligent be removed from their positions.
PMA Central Secretary General Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro said inadequate fire-safety arrangements remain a serious issue at hospitals across the country.
He noted that several healthcare facilities, including hospitals in Karachi, lack sufficient equipment to deal with fires and urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the federal health minister to take immediate notice of the matter.
Shoro criticised the repeated formation of inquiry committees after such incidents, saying their recommendations often fade from public attention after a few days without meaningful action.
