Chinese firm awards Rs1m to PIMS nurse who saved newborn during fire

ISLAMABAD: A Chinese company has awarded Rs1 million to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) nurse Razia Noreen in recognition of her bravery in rescuing a newborn during a deadly fire at the hospital’s neonatal nursery that killed 14 babies last month.

Chinese company chairperson Yan Jin presented Noreen with a cheque of Rs1 million and praised her courage in risking her own life to save the infant.

Yan Jin said saving one life was equivalent to saving all humanity, adding that Noreen had demonstrated exceptional courage and a strong sense of duty in a dangerous situation.

The award comes a week after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif presented Noreen with a Rs10 million cheque and announced that she would receive the Tamgha-i-Khidmat on March 23 next year in recognition of her bravery.

Nurse rescued sole surviving newborn

The fire broke out on August 26 at the neonatal ward of the Mother and Child Hospital at PIMS.

There were 15 newborns in the nursery when the fire broke out. Fourteen infants died, while Noreen managed to rescue the sole surviving baby.

HUM News English earlier reported that the blaze broke out at around 6:54am on the third floor of the hospital, where the newborns were being treated.

Security footage showed Noreen entering the smoke-filled nursery and emerging seconds later carrying a baby to safety. She subsequently attempted to return to the nursery but was unable to do so because of the intense fire and smoke.

Noreen later told the prime minister that she had acted as part of her duty and had tried to save as many children as possible.

Speaking after receiving the government award, she said that she considered the recognition an honour for all PIMS staff who had worked during and after the tragedy.

The government had earlier approved the cash award and civil honour after an inquiry into the fire identified Noreen as the nurse who evacuated the only surviving baby while risking her own life.

Inquiry finds safety, administrative failures

The recognition for Noreen has come as authorities continue to face questions over the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the 14 newborns.

An inquiry into the incident identified serious institutional, administrative and fire-safety shortcomings at PIMS.

It recommended action against eight officials and said criminal proceedings should be initiated against those responsible. The inquiry also found that the precise technical cause of the fire remained unresolved and required further investigation.

The inquiry recommended a Rs10 million reward and a civil award for Noreen for rescuing the surviving child.

The inquiry found inadequate fire-safety, evacuation and emergency-response arrangements at the facility. It also noted that CCTV footage showed conditions in the nursery deteriorating rapidly after the fire became visible.

The government has since taken steps aimed at addressing safety and operational shortcomings at PIMS.

Health Minister Mustafa Kamal chaired a meeting on September 7 at which officials reviewed technical issues at the Mother and Child Health Centre, including problems involving the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system. The government also decided to urgently address shortages of engineering and technical staff at PIMS.

Calls for accountability continue

The fire has also triggered demands for criminal action and stricter enforcement of fire-safety standards.

The Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights on Wednesday directed authorities to register an FIR over the PIMS nursery fire and initiate criminal proceedings against those responsible. Committee members expressed concern that no FIR had been registered despite the prime minister’s earlier directions for action against officials found responsible.

The tragedy has also prompted wider scrutiny of fire safety in Islamabad.

The Capital Development Authority conducted fire-safety drills at government buildings following the deaths, while a petition was filed in the Islamabad High Court challenging the alleged non-implementation of fire-safety laws in the capital.

Noreen’s rescue of the newborn has consequently emerged as a rare story of individual courage amid a tragedy that has raised serious questions about institutional preparedness, fire safety and accountability at one of Islamabad’s largest public hospitals.