Islamabad: The death of 14 newborns in a fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) nursery has raised important questions about the hospital’s safety system. The incident occurred on the third floor of the Mother and Child Health Center on Wednesday morning. One of the 15 children in the nursery was rescued.
Initially, authorities attributed the fire to a malfunction or explosion in the air conditioner. According to Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, CCTV footage showed a spark from the AC at 6:38 am and flames soon after. However, it would be premature to draw any final conclusions about the ultimate cause of the fire until the investigation is complete.
Rescue teams reached the spot about six minutes after receiving the information, according to rescue officials. Despite this, most of the children in the nursery could not be saved. According to some reports, heavy smoke and fire made the rescue operation difficult. Rescue personnel and others also tried to reach people through windows.
After the incident, the fire safety arrangements of the hospital have also become a major part of the investigation. Questions have been raised about emergency exits, doors, firefighting equipment and staff readiness. The Health Minister has also said that the investigation will look into why the doors were closed at the time of the emergency and how many doctors, nurses and other staff were there.
According to the PIMS administration, access to the nursery was restricted and monitored. The administration has linked it to the theft of newborn babies in the past. On the contrary, some eyewitnesses have questioned the condition of the doors and passages. A final opinion on the matter can be formed only after the investigation report is out.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken notice of the incident and ordered a high-level investigation. Federal Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri has been removed from his post. The government has also set up an investigation committee to review the cause of the fire, fire safety arrangements and emergency response.
A major preliminary report on the incident has also revealed different details about the nature of the fire. One report has suggested the possibility of a nebulizer exploding, while other official and media reports have mentioned an AC explosion or an electrical fault. This discrepancy has further increased the importance of a final investigation.
The PIMS tragedy is not just a matter of finding out the cause of the fire. The investigation will also have to look at how well the safety system worked after the fire. Fire alarms, emergency exits, fire extinguishers, use of oxygen, staff training and communication with rescue teams will be essential.
The death of 14 newborns has also sparked a debate on the standards of fire safety in government hospitals. If the investigation confirms any administrative or safety negligence, it will also be necessary to determine the responsible persons. At the same time, steps will have to be taken to prevent such an incident from happening again in any hospital in the future.
