ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered the immediate suspension of eight officials held responsible for the PIMS neonatal nursery fire and directed that criminal proceedings be initiated against them under relevant laws.
The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by the prime minister after the preliminary report of the inquiry committee into the fire incident was presented.
The prime minister directed that those identified as responsible should face both departmental and criminal proceedings, stressing that there would be no discrimination in taking action against those responsible for the tragedy.
The eight officials include PIMS Executive Director Professor Dr Imran Sikandar, Joint Executive Directors Dr Mutahir Shah and Chaudhry Dr Waris Ali Raza, Neonatal Department Head Professor Dr Saadia Riaz, Senior Registrar Dr Naghma, Dr Nousheela Amjad, PIMS Security Assistant Director Muhammad Usman and CDA Emergency Services Director General Dr Abdul Rehman.
Shehbaz Sharif also approved action against the security company deployed at PIMS and its officials in connection with the incident.
The prime minister ordered that the preliminary inquiry report be made public immediately and directed that it be uploaded on the website of the Ministry of National Health Services.
“Those responsible for criminal negligence do not deserve any leniency,” the prime minister said, adding that all those responsible for the incident would be brought to justice.
He further directed that those responsible should receive exemplary punishment so that no mother would again be separated from her child because of someone’s criminal negligence.
As part of the measures taken following the tragedy, the prime minister directed the appointment of Dr Muhammad Salman, Chief Executive Officer of the National Institutes of Health, as Acting Executive Director of PIMS.
He also ordered that new appointments be made immediately and simultaneously to all positions from which officials had been removed.
The prime minister also approved the award of Sitara-e-Khidmat to nurse Razia Noreen, who saved a child’s life without regard for her own safety before the fire spread throughout the ward. She will also receive a cash award of Rs10 million.
He directed that the nurse and a female security guard who were present in the ward at the time of the incident be made Officers on Special Duty and ordered that further investigations be conducted.
The inquiry report presented to the meeting identified serious administrative and safety shortcomings at PIMS.
According to the briefing, the hospital had no detailed standard operating procedures or specific training for dealing with fire incidents and other emergency situations. Of PIMS’ 13 SOPs, references to fire or emergency situations were found in only two subsections.
The inquiry also found that supervisory staff was not present on duty when the fire broke out.
The fire engulfed the entire ward within two minutes, while an emergency services call was made six minutes after the fire started and the first emergency response arrived 15 minutes later.
The neonatal ward also had no fire alarm or sprinkler system, while the hospital had no designated officer responsible for fire or other emergency situations.
The meeting was informed that a fire had broken out at the PIMS nursing hostel in July, just one month before the neonatal ward incident, but no serious measures were taken afterwards to improve fire safety at the hospital.
The neonatal ward was also found to be in violation of relevant World Health Organisation requirements, while the inquiry pointed to the dilapidated condition of the hospital and administrative mismanagement.
The prime minister thanked inquiry committee head Shahid Khan and its members for their work and directed them to complete the investigation and submit a further detailed report.
Tags
PIMS fire, PIMS neonatal nursery, Shehbaz Sharif, PIMS officials, criminal proceedings, suspension of officials, criminal negligence, PIMS inquiry report, hospital fire, PIMS security, Razia Noreen, Sitara-e-Khidmat, Ministry of National Health Services, Pakistan healthcare
