PIMS tragedy: PM’s inquiry panel examines rescue response, safety lapses

ISLAMABAD: The inquiry committee constituted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to investigate the fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) has formally begun its probe into the deaths of 14 newborn babies, with investigators examining the response of emergency teams and the circumstances surrounding the blaze.

According to sources, members of the high-level inquiry committee visited the Fire Brigade Headquarters in Islamabad on Thursday and recorded statements from Capital Emergency Services officials and personnel involved in the rescue operation.

The committee also examined the timeline of events from the outbreak of the fire at the Mother and Child Hospital (MCH) nursery until the arrival of rescue teams at the scene.

Investigators reviewed the response time and performance of the fire brigade and sought information about difficulties and obstacles encountered during the rescue operation, sources said.

The committee is also expected to examine the hospital’s fire safety arrangements, emergency response mechanisms and possible administrative or technical lapses that may have contributed to the tragedy.

The inquiry committee, headed by retired federal secretary Shahid Khan, would submit an interim report to the prime minister within 48 hours, while a comprehensive report containing its findings and recommendations would be submitted within five days, according to the sources.

The committee has been tasked with determining the cause of the fire, establishing a detailed timeline of the incident, assessing the response of hospital staff, firefighters and rescue agencies, and identifying any negligence or lapses.

It will also recommend action against those found responsible and propose measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

PIMS reconstitutes its own inquiry committee

Separately, PIMS has reconstituted its four-member internal inquiry committee to investigate the fire that erupted in the MCH nursery and killed 14 newborn babies.

According to a notification issued by the PIMS administration, Dr Atif Inam Shami has been appointed chairman of the reconstituted committee.

Deputy Executive Director PIMS Dr Aneza Jaleel, Dr Altaf Hussain and Dr Sajjad Rafiq Abbasi are the other members of the committee.

The administration said the committee was reconstituted because Professor Qasim Mahmood Butt, who was part of the earlier panel, was on leave.

The committee has also been directed to submit its findings within 48 hours.

It will determine the actual cause of the fire and assess the fire safety measures in place at the nursery. It will also examine the effectiveness of the rescue operation and the response time of emergency teams.

The committee will identify those responsible for any lapses and recommend strict action, according to the notification issued under Dr Jaleel’s signature.

Sources said that Dr Jaleel herself has recorded her statement before the inquiry committee constituted by the prime minister.

The reconstitution of the PIMS committee comes amid conflicting accounts over the cause of the fire and growing scrutiny of the hospital’s electrical and oxygen infrastructure, fire safety arrangements and emergency response.

Conflicting accounts over cause of fire

Earlier, the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination launched a separate probe into the incident.

During its visit to PIMS, committee members raised questions over conflicting accounts regarding the cause of the fire.

Committee Chairman Mahesh Kumar Malani said the panel would not rely solely on the government’s inquiry and would examine the incident on its own merits.

“We have to see whether the fire was the result of negligence or a natural cause. It appears that there may have been a technical fault,” Malani told reporters.

He said the exact source of the fire had not yet been established, with different accounts emerging from hospital staff.

Health Minister Mustafa Kamal had earlier attributed the incident to a spark in an air conditioner. However, Malani said the committee had received conflicting accounts about the alleged spark.

According to him, one doctor told the committee that a bundle of wires may have caused the spark, while nurses said the incident happened suddenly. Another account suggested an oxygen-related fault.

“No one saw where the spark came from,” Malani said, stressing that it was too early to conclusively determine how the fire started.

He said the fault could have originated in the oxygen pipes or electrical wiring, particularly because oxygen was supplied at each incubator.

PIMS’ initial account had stated that the fire began with a spark inside the nursery at around 6:38am and spread within seconds because of oxygen points installed at the incubators.

However, Malani said the committee had been told that the old air conditioner had not been functioning for some time and that two portable air-conditioning units were being used in the ward.

He added that the hospital’s executive director had also agreed that the spark had not originated from the air conditioner.

Questions over nursery building and maintenance

The parliamentary committee also questioned the condition and suitability of the nursery where the newborns were being treated.

Malani said the nursery was established in a building dating back to 1990 and questioned why newborns were being kept there when a newly constructed and better-equipped block was available at PIMS.

“The nursery was not fit for the babies,” he said, adding that the area had originally been intended to function as a gynaecology ward.

Committee members also questioned whether the nursery had been adequately maintained over the years.

Committee member Farakh Khan raised concerns about the presence of an old air conditioner and exposed wiring, asking why such hazards had not been addressed if regular maintenance had been carried out.

The committee sought details of the budget allocated for PIMS’ Mother and Child Health Care Centre and how much of the allocated amount had actually been utilised.

It also requested records showing how frequently the hospital’s oxygen and electrical systems had been inspected.

Fire drills, alarms under scrutiny

The National Assembly committee is also examining whether adequate fire safety and emergency response systems were in place at PIMS.

Committee member Gul Asghar Khan said the hospital had been asked about the frequency of fire drills and when the last drill was conducted.

The panel also sought details of the most recent fire safety audit and possible human errors that may have contributed to the tragedy.

PPP MNA Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro said information had also been sought about the functionality of fire alarms at the hospital.

She pointed to conflicting statements from staff, saying these raised questions about whether personnel were present in the ward when the fire broke out.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl MNA Aliya Kamran said the committee’s interaction with nurses gave the impression that they may have been instructed on what to say.

She also questioned the account given by the doctor on duty and alleged that the infants had been left unattended when the fire erupted.

Kamran alleged that there had been an attempt to establish that the blaze originated from the air conditioner and called for the health minister’s resignation.

Soomro also demanded that the PIMS executive director and health minister step down on moral grounds.

The committee, however, stressed that technical experts would need to be consulted before a definitive conclusion could be reached about the cause of the fire.

Health secretary sets up PIMS tent office

Meanwhile, Secretary of the Ministry of National Health Services Captain (retd) Muhammad Mahmood said that a temporary tent office set up at PIMS had started functioning to address administrative issues and facilitate patients and members of the public.

Speaking to journalists at PIMS, Mahmood said he would remain available at the tent office to resolve problems faced by the hospital and improve facilities for patients.

He said he would sit at the PIMS tent office after completing necessary official matters at the Ministry of Health each day.

“Resolving PIMS’ administrative issues is my first priority,” he said.

Mahmood said he would personally hear complaints from the hospital administration, patients and citizens and take steps for their resolution.

He expressed solidarity with the parents of the newborns who died in the fire, saying the government shared their grief.

He said effective measures would be taken to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

The secretary also said efforts would be made to upgrade PIMS’ infrastructure in line with international standards and improve governance through administrative reforms.

“Modern technology will be utilised to resolve PIMS’ problems and improve its services,” he said.

With three separate investigations now underway, the focus is increasingly shifting from the immediate cause of the fire to broader questions surrounding the condition of the nursery, electrical and oxygen systems, fire safety arrangements, staff presence, emergency response and whether adequate preventive measures were in place before the tragedy.