The prime minister had repeatedly instructed the health secretary to personally visit hospitals to evaluate the conditions, including treatment standards, available facilities, and overall patient care arrangements. He was specifically directed to verify the presence of the latest medical equipment and electromedical devices. Despite these orders, the health secretary failed to carry out the necessary inspections.
Notably, the prime minister reiterated this directive just four days before the tragic fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) ICU, but the visit did not occur. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, which resulted in the deaths of several children, the prime minister promptly removed the health secretary from his post.
However, this swift action does not imply that full responsibility for the tragedy has been established. An inquiry committee has been formed to investigate the incident and is expected to submit its report to the prime minister. As of Friday evening, the findings remain pending. The committee aims to identify lapses and assign accountability at various levels, which could lead to further measures.
Meanwhile, questions have arisen about whether additional officials will face consequences, including Health Minister Mustafa Kamal. No decisions regarding the minister’s position have been finalized, as any action will largely depend on the inquiry’s conclusions and whether responsibility is attributed to him or other officials.
It is customary in cases of serious administrative failure for senior officials to be removed promptly within the first 24 hours, with subsequent steps taken after the inquiry’s outcome. The health minister has also faced mounting pressure and calls for resignation following the deaths, but there is no confirmation that he has been asked to step down.
The inquiry report is expected to play a critical role in determining if the initial dismissal of the health secretary will be followed by further action against other responsible parties, including those managing Pims. This tragedy has also spotlighted concerns about the effectiveness of oversight mechanisms in major public hospitals and whether senior officials were adequately monitoring critical-care facilities.
While the government’s immediate response was to remove the health secretary, the full extent of accountability will become clearer once the inquiry committee delivers its findings to the prime minister.
