ISLAMABAD: An initial inquiry report into the devastating fire at the nursery of Islamabad’s Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) has been prepared and submitted to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, with the findings highlighting serious shortcomings in the hospital’s medical and fire-safety arrangements.
According to sources, the report was submitted by inquiry committee chairman and former interior secretary Shahid Khan to the office of the prime minister’s adviser, Tauqeer Shah, who subsequently forwarded it to the prime minister.
The report, signed by all members of the inquiry committee, can be made public only with the prime minister’s authorization. Sources said strict legal and administrative action is likely against officials and staff found responsible for negligence.
The inquiry found deficiencies in both healthcare and fire-safety facilities at PIMS, stating that none of the safety arrangements at the hospital met international standards.
The committee also recorded interviews with hospital administrators and doctors, as well as statements from firefighters and rescue personnel. The report details the difficulties encountered during the emergency response and recommends strict action against relevant staff members who were found absent when the incident occurred.
The findings come after a separate Capital Development Authority (CDA) fire incident report also raised serious concerns. According to that report, a fire exit at the hospital had allegedly been kept permanently closed with locks, while security personnel reportedly created obstacles for firefighters during their initial response.
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Meanwhile, conflicting accounts have emerged from officials and eyewitnesses regarding the sequence of events and the administrative measures taken on the day of the tragedy.
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said a spark, possibly originating from an air conditioner, was detected at around 6:38am, while video footage showed people beginning to evacuate the ward at approximately 6:39am.
He said 14 babies in the ward were receiving oxygen, which contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. The minister also confirmed that the hospital did not have an automatic fire sprinkler system and that 26 fire extinguishers were used to combat the blaze.
PIMS Executive Director Rana Imran Sikandar, however, rejected claims that the relevant door had been locked. He said that, because of previous incidents involving child abductions, only one door was kept for restricted access, but it was not locked.
Questions have also been raised over the response time of emergency teams and the identification of victims.
Khurram Mahmood, who lost his three-day-old daughter in the incident, told AFP that rescue workers took several hours to arrive and that victims remained on the road waiting for assistance.
Another eyewitness, Abdul Ghafoor, said the ward was filled with dense smoke and claimed that rescue teams arrived nearly two hours after the incident.
The inquiry report is now before the prime minister, who will decide whether to make its findings public and what action should be taken against those found responsible.
