A video emerged on Sunday showing welding activities taking place inside the nursery of the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) in Karachi while newborn babies were present. This incident comes just weeks after a tragic fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) gynaecology ward on August 26, which resulted in the deaths of 15 infants—14 during the fire and one subsequently.
The footage reveals newborns lying on beds within the NICH nursery as welding work is actively underway nearby. Reports indicate that between 80 and 120 infants were in the nursery at the time, with the majority relying on oxygen support. The repair work was reportedly being conducted in the emergency department’s nursery to establish an emergency exit route.
Efforts to reach the hospital administration for comment were unsuccessful. Notably, the PIMS fire tragedy has deeply impacted the nation, prompting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to suspend officials and order strict actions against those responsible.
In a significant development, a detailed inquiry into the PIMS fire identified an electrical fault in the air conditioner number two’s supply cable as the likely cause of ignition. However, the disaster was attributed to broader “systematic and institutional failures.” The investigation report noted that the fire became visible around 6:38 a.m., and within one to two minutes, thick smoke had engulfed the nursery, creating an extremely limited window for rescue operations.
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