ISLAMABAD: Parents alleged serious negligence at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), saying the NICU door was locked and no nursery staff were present when a fire broke out, killing at least 15 infants.
The fire broke out at 6:45am after an air-conditioner compressor reportedly exploded inside the nursery, rescue sources said. The nursery, located in the hospital’s gynaecology ward, housed 16 newborns, of whom only one was rescued.
Parents claimed no staff members were present in the nursery when the fire erupted. They also alleged that rescue services arrived about two hours later, while police reached the hospital four hours after the incident.
An affected woman said no doctor or staff member arrived for an hour after the fire started. She questioned how the blaze might have broken out without even a single person in another ward suffering so much as a scratch.
The father of one of the deceased infants said the fire brigade and ambulances reached the hospital about 1.5 hours after the fire began. He said parents had tried to rescue the children themselves.
The aunt of the only infant who survived said she personally entered the ward and carried the baby out after the fire broke out.
She alleged that no one was present at the time and claimed that staff had fled the area when the blaze erupted.
She said she later took the infant and the child’s mother to Polyclinic Hospital.
Families demanded DNA tests to establish the identities of the deceased infants and sought action against the hospital administration, saying some had not been shown their children’s clothes or given sufficient confirmation of their identities.
PM orders action over Pims fire
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the deaths, saying that such a situation involving children was “irreparable”.
He ordered an immediate investigation into the Pims nursery fire and directed strict action against those found responsible for the tragedy.
He later chaired a high-level meeting to review the incident and expressed strong displeasure with the relevant officials.
During the meeting, the prime minister ordered the immediate suspension and removal of Federal Health Secretary Aslam Ghori from his post. Health minister assures families of probe
Firefighting systems were operational: minister
Meanwhile, Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said 14 deaths had been officially confirmed, adding that the Director General (DG) Health and hospital secretary were at Pims and authorities were in contact with the affected families.
Speaking to Geo News, Kamal said anyone found responsible for negligence would face strict action, adding that he would also be held accountable if any fault was found on his part.
Responding to a question, the minister said staff had gone to call rescue services after the fire started but the blaze spread rapidly.
He said firefighting equipment at the hospital was operational and acknowledged that Pims was working beyond its capacity.
‘Short circuit’ blamed for fire
Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhary, who visited Pims and spoke to the media, said the fire was caused by a short circuit, adding that a gas line and plastic equipment helped it spread rapidly.
He said most of the children died from suffocation, while the oxygen supply also contributed to the spread of the fire. Chaudhary said doctors, nurses and other staff were present at the time of the incident and all remained safe.
He added that any negligence found during the incident would be brought to light.
