PM Shehbaz Orders Action Against Officials Over PIMS Fire Tragedy

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved the immediate suspension of eight officials and ordered action against those responsible for the PIMS fire incident. Chairing a high-level meeting, the prime minister was presented with the inquiry committee’s interim report and CCTV footage of the incident.

The prime minister directed that criminal proceedings be initiated against those responsible without discrimination. He also approved action against the private security company deployed at the hospital and its officials. He ordered the immediate appointment of new personnel in place of those removed from their positions.

According to the briefing, PIMS had no proper SOPs or training for dealing with fires and other emergency situations. Of the hospital’s 13 SOPs, only two subsections contained references to fire or emergencies. Supervisory staff were also absent from duty when the incident occurred, while two nurses, a female security guard and a house officer were present in the ward.

The meeting was informed that the fire spread throughout the ward within just two minutes. Emergency services were called six minutes after the fire broke out, while the first emergency response reached the hospital 15 minutes later. The ward had no fire alarm or sprinkler system, while the neonatal ward was found to be in violation of relevant WHO standards. Officials also briefed the meeting about the hospital’s deteriorating condition and administrative mismanagement.

Prime Minister Shehbaz approved the award of Sitara-e-Khidmat for the nurse who risked her life to rescue a child before the fire spread. He also ordered that another nurse and the female security guard present in the ward be made Officers on Special Duty pending further investigation. Dr. Muhammad Salman, CEO of the National Institutes of Health, was directed to take charge as Acting Executive Director of PIMS.

The prime minister directed that the interim inquiry report be made public immediately on the Ministry of National Health’s website and ordered completion of the detailed investigation. He said those responsible for criminal negligence would receive no leniency and would be brought to justice. Expressing solidarity with the bereaved families, Shehbaz said exemplary punishment would be ensured so that no mother would again lose her child because of criminal negligence.