ISLAMABAD – The deaths of 14 newborn babies in horrific fire at PIMS triggered major government response, with the Federal Ministry of National Health Services ordering immediate and comprehensive fire safety audits across government hospitals.
Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad’s largest government hospital, as well as all other public hospitals under the ministry’s administrative control will undergo fire safety audit as per directives issued by the Ministry of Health on Friday, with officials looking at detailed assessment of fire detection and alarm systems, firefighting equipment, emergency evacuation arrangements, exit routes and other critical fire safety measures.
The move comes just days after a deadly fire erupted inside the nursery on the third floor of PIMS’s Mother and Child Health Ward on the morning of August 26. The fire started from a spark inside the nursery but rapidly intensified within seconds. The presence of oxygen points alongside incubators contributed to the rapid spread of the blaze.
There were 15 newborn babies inside the nursery when the fire broke out. The hospital administration said the fire spread so rapidly that the two doctors, two nurses and other staff members present at the scene managed to safely evacuate only one baby. The other 14 newborns lost their lives.
According to a PIMS spokesperson, hospital staff made two attempts to enter the nursery to rescue the babies. But during the rescue efforts, a powerful explosion occurred, causing ceilings to collapse and making the rescue operation even more dangerous.
Although the fire spread rapidly inside the nursery, hospital authorities said it remained confined to the third-floor nursery and did not affect other sections of PIMS.
The tragedy has been followed by another alarming revelation. An official Capital Development Authority (CDA) fire report found that safety arrangements at PIMS were inadequate and that emergency exit routes were blocked or obstructed. The findings have raised serious questions about the hospital’s emergency preparedness, particularly its ability to evacuate critically vulnerable patients during a rapidly spreading fire.
Federal Ministry of National Health Services said the new audits will go beyond firefighting equipment. Inspectors will also examine electrical systems and other potential sources of fire, while hospitals have been directed to immediately eliminate any deficiencies that could threaten human life or property.
All relevant hospitals have been ordered to begin the audits immediately and inform the Ministry of Health about the company conducting the audit and its expected completion date.
Once the process is completed, hospitals will also be required to submit a comprehensive compliance report to the Ministry of National Health Services.
The ministry has also directed the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) to ensure and verify fire safety audits at both public and private hospitals. The directive effectively puts hospitals across the capital under increased scrutiny following the PIMS tragedy.
The fire safety audit orders have been issued to PIMS, Polyclinic, FG Hospital and Sheikh Zayed Hospital Lahore, among other relevant institutions. CEO of IHRA and the District Health Officer Islamabad have also been instructed to take the necessary measures.
PIMS nursery tragedy, which claimed the lives of 14 newborns, has exposed potentially serious gaps in hospital fire preparedness and emergency evacuation systems.
Ministry of Health has now ordered authorities to treat fire safety as a priority and ensure immediate corrective action. The question now facing hospital authorities is stark: will the identified safety gaps be fixed before another emergency puts patients’ lives at risk?
