ISLAMABAD: At least 15 newborns lost their lives in a tragic fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), with parents accusing serious negligence. They claimed the NICU door was locked and no nursery staff were present when the fire erupted early Sunday morning. The blaze began at 6:45 am, reportedly triggered by an explosion of an air-conditioner compressor inside the nursery, which was located in the hospital’s gynaecology ward housing 16 infants. Only one infant survived the incident.
Parents asserted that no staff members were available in the nursery at the time of the fire. They also criticized the delayed response of rescue services, which they said arrived nearly two hours later, while police reached the hospital four hours after the fire started. One affected woman highlighted the absence of doctors or staff for an hour after the fire began, questioning how such a devastating blaze could occur unnoticed without anyone getting injured in adjacent wards.
The father of one of the deceased babies stated that the fire brigade and ambulances arrived about 90 minutes after the fire ignited, forcing parents to attempt rescuing their children themselves. Meanwhile, the aunt of the sole surviving infant recounted personally entering the ward to carry the baby out, alleging that no hospital personnel were present and that staff had fled when the fire broke out. She later took the infant and the mother to Polyclinic Hospital for treatment.
Families of the victims demanded DNA testing to confirm the identities of the deceased infants. They also called for accountability from the hospital administration, noting that some had not been shown their children’s clothing or received sufficient confirmation regarding their identities.
In a significant development, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the loss of young lives, describing the situation as “irreparable.” He ordered an immediate investigation into the fire and instructed strict action against those found responsible. The prime minister convened a high-level meeting to review the incident, expressing strong dissatisfaction with the officials involved. During the meeting, he ordered the immediate suspension and removal of the Federal Health Secretary, Aslam Ghori.
Meanwhile, Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal confirmed 14 deaths officially and stated that the Director General Health and hospital secretary were present at PIMS, maintaining contact with the affected families. He assured that anyone found negligent would face strict consequences and accepted personal accountability if fault was identified on his part. Kamal explained that staff had gone to summon rescue services after the fire started, but the blaze spread rapidly. He confirmed that the hospital’s firefighting equipment was functional but acknowledged that PIMS was operating beyond its capacity.
Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhary, who visited the hospital and addressed the media, said the fire was caused by a short circuit. He added that a gas line and plastic equipment facilitated the rapid spread of the fire. He noted that most of the infants died from suffocation, with the oxygen supply contributing to the fire’s expansion. Chaudhary claimed that doctors, nurses, and other staff were present during the incident and remained unharmed. He pledged that any negligence discovered would be thoroughly investigated and exposed.
