Pakistan suspends eight officials after deadly hospital fire
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- Islamabad hospital fire kills 14 newborns, sparks probe.
- Sharif orders criminal action after neonatal ward fire.
- Pakistan launches hospital safety audits.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered the immediate suspension of eight officials and initiated criminal proceedings after an interim investigation into a fire at an Islamabad hospital that killed 14 newborns.
The action follows the submission of an interim inquiry report led by retired senior civil servant Shahid Khan regarding Wednesday's blaze at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).
The fire broke out on the hospital's third-floor nursery, spreading so rapidly that staff managed to rescue only one of the 15 infants present in the ward.
"Those guilty of criminal negligence deserve no leniency," Prime Minister Sharif stated following the briefing.
Lack of fire systems, delayed emergency response
The interim report presented to the Prime Minister highlighted systemic safety lapses and operational delays at the medical facility.
Investigators found that the nursery was equipped with neither fire alarms nor automated sprinkler systems.
The report further noted that supervisory personnel were absent when the fire began, leaving two nurses, a female security guard, and a house officer in the ward.
Emergency services were notified six minutes after the fire broke out, and firefighters arrived 15 minutes after receiving the alert.
Additionally, out of the hospital's 13 standard operating procedures, only two subsections referenced emergency or fire protocols.
The suspended individuals include the hospital’s executive director, two joint executive directors, the head of the neonatal department, two attending doctors, the assistant director for security, and the head of the Capital Development Authority’s emergency services. Action was also approved against the firm contracted for hospital security.
State recognition for heroic nurse
During the investigative review, surveillance footage showed a nurse risking her life to rescue the single surviving infant before flames engulfed the room.
Sharif approved a recommendation to award her the Sitara-i-Khidmat, a national honor recognizing exceptional public service.
The government has announced a financial compensation package of 5 million rupees (approximately $18,000) for each affected family.
The disaster has ignited widespread public outrage and prompted broader policy changes.
Ahead of the suspensions, Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri was dismissed from his post, and provincial authorities in Punjab ordered comprehensive safety audits of firefighting equipment and emergency systems across all regional hospitals.
