Islamabad – Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has promised to take action against the culprits of the tragic incident of newborn deaths at PIMS. If negligence is found at any stage of the investigation, no one will be spared, he has said. He said that he will also be held accountable before his higher officials.
Mustafa Kamal, while talking to journalists in Islamabad, said that he reached the federal capital from Karachi at 3:30 pm. He explained that the incident is being investigated by various experts and relevant agencies. All the facts will be made public once the investigation is finished, he said.
The incident occurred in the Mother and Child Health Ward at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences on August 26. 14 babies lost their lives in the blaze, and one child was rescued. Initial information indicates the fire started when a spark from an air conditioner in the nursery combined with oxygen caused the fire to spread quickly. The cause of the incident, however, will only be known after investigation.
The Health Minister said that the CCTV footage indicated that there was a spark from the air conditioner around 6:38 am. It was about a minute later when it became critical and the ward was in flames. The agencies are looking into the incident in different aspects, he said.
The Health Minister explained that the purpose of the investigation is not to seek to blame any single individual but to find out what went wrong and whether there were any administrative or safety failures. According to him, action will be taken where negligence is proven and steps will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future.
After the incident, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered a probe and dismissed the Federal Health Secretary. The investigation is looking into the cause of the fire, fire safety arrangements in the hospital, rescue operations and potential negligence. The Islamabad administration has also formed a separate committee to find out the facts of the incident.
According to the PIMS administration, the staff on duty immediately tried to provide assistance and shifted other patients, including a child, to safe places. Meanwhile, some witnesses and affected families have questioned the safety measures at the hospital and the rescue efforts. These allegations will also be investigated.
Mustafa Kamal said that even if he is found guilty in this incident, he will not be spared of accountability. It would be inappropriate to make a final judgement on any individual until the investigation is finished, he stressed.
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