PIMS fire: Prime Minister orders action against those responsible

Islamabad: After the initial investigation report of the PIMS fire came out, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif approved the immediate suspension of 8 people and departmental and criminal action against them.

The Prime Minister took this decision while chairing a high-level meeting on the PIMS incident in Lahore. In the meeting, former Interior Secretary Shahid Khan, head of the investigation committee, presented an interim report. CCTV footage of about two minutes was also shown in the meeting.

The people suspended on the recommendation of the investigation committee include PIMS Executive Director Professor Dr. Imran Sikandar, Joint Executive Directors Dr. Mutahir Shah and Dr. Owais Ali Shah. The list also includes Head of Neonatal Department Prof Dr Sadia Riaz, Senior Registrar Dr Nagham, Dr Naushila Amjad, PIMS Assistant Director Security Muhammad Usman and Director General of CDA Emergency Services Dr Abdul Rehman.

The Prime Minister directed that criminal action be taken against those found responsible along with departmental action under relevant laws. Action has also been approved against the private security company deployed at PIMS and its relevant officials.

The interim investigation has also raised serious questions about PIMS’s emergency arrangements. According to the report, there were no detailed SOPs and proper training to deal with fire and other emergencies in the hospital. Only two sub-sections of PIMS’s 13 SOPs mentioned fire or emergency.

According to the investigation briefing, there was no supervisory staff present in the ward at the time of the incident. There were two nurses, a female security guard and a house officer. The fire engulfed the entire ward in about two minutes.

According to the report, emergency services were informed about six minutes after the fire broke out, while the initial emergency response arrived 15 minutes later. The investigation also revealed that the ward did not have a fire alarm and sprinkler system.

Meanwhile, a nurse risked her life to save a child before it was engulfed in flames. The Prime Minister appreciated this bravery and approved the award of the Sitara Khidmat for nurse Razia Noreen.

The Prime Minister has directed Dr. Muhammad Salman to be appointed as the acting executive director of PIMS. He also ordered the immediate appointment of new people in place of the removed officers.

Shahbaz Sharif said that those guilty of criminal negligence do not deserve any concession. He clarified that action will be taken against those responsible for the incident as per the law and efforts will be made to ensure exemplary punishment for them. Expressing sympathy with the parents of the deceased children, the Prime Minister said that the death of innocent children is a very sad tragedy for the entire nation.

The interim report on the PIMS incident has not only raised the issue of individual responsibility but also drawn attention to the hospital’s overall fire safety system. A fire incident in the PIMS nursing hostel in July was also mentioned in the meeting, however, it was pointed out that the required improvements in safety measures were not made after that.

The Prime Minister has directed the investigation committee to continue the full investigation and submit a detailed report. It has also been decided to release the interim report on the website of the Ministry of National Health.