Islamabad: The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination has expressed grave concern over the deaths of 14 infants in the PIMS nursery fire, demanding criminal proceedings against all those found responsible and questioning the effectiveness of the inquiry conducted on the Prime Minister's directions.
Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Mahesh Kumar Malani, MNA, said the Committee's fundamental concern was not only whether the infants could have been rescued after the fire but why a fire was able to engulf the nursery within such a short period.
The Committee questioned the availability and functioning of fire-safety systems, electrical installations, air-conditioning equipment, oxygen arrangements, biomedical equipment, emergency preparedness and staff training.
It sought the complete inquiry findings, detailed cause of death of each of the 14 infants, the number of persons present inside the nursery at the time of the incident and CCTV footage from before and after the fire.
The Committee also demanded inspection records, biomedical equipment records, fire-safety audits and details of mock drills and emergency training.
Members questioned conflicting accounts regarding the possible source of the fire, including reports that an air-conditioner may have caused a spark and other claims that the air-conditioner was not functioning.
The Committee expressed serious concern over the use of portable air-conditioners in such a critical area and questioned why electrical and biomedical equipment had not been regularly inspected.
It also raised concerns regarding the absence or inadequacy of fire drills, staff training, fire alarms, sprinklers and emergency preparedness, observing that effective preparedness could have prevented the loss of lives.
The Committee directed that complete records relating to fire-safety installations, expenditure, procurement, tenders, contractors, installation and maintenance during the past five years be presented before it.
IHRA Performance Questioned
The Committee also questioned the performance of the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA), asking whether the Authority had fulfilled its statutory responsibility to inspect and enforce minimum standards in public and private healthcare establishments.
Members sought details regarding the last comprehensive inspection of PIMS and questioned whether prescribed minimum service and safety standards were being properly enforced.
The Committee decided to summon relevant IHRA officials at its next meeting and seek a detailed account of inspections, violations and enforcement action.
Demand for Criminal Proceedings
Several members termed the incident a case of criminal negligence and questioned why criminal proceedings had not been initiated against all those responsible.
The Committee directed that the legal position regarding registration of criminal cases against officials identified as responsible be examined and sought an opinion from the Law Division.
The Committee was informed that a letter had already been sent to the Ministry of Interior seeking criminal proceedings against all eight persons identified in connection with the matter.
However, members demanded clarity regarding action taken against each individual and the basis on which responsibility had been fixed.
The Committee also raised questions regarding the composition and mandate of the inquiry committee and the suitability of retired officers investigating the conduct of serving officials.
PIMS Administrative Failures Under Scrutiny
The Committee expressed strong concern over administrative arrangements at PIMS, particularly the practice of assigning multiple additional charges to individual officers.
Members questioned reports that one official was holding as many as nine additional charges and sought complete details regarding such assignments and the reasons permanent appointments had not been made.
The appointment of the new Executive Director of PIMS also came under scrutiny, with members raising concerns about whether the incumbent possessed sufficient administrative and institutional experience to manage a major tertiary-care hospital.
The Federal Minister for National Health acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and stated that PIMS required radical restructuring.
The Committee warned that the PIMS tragedy should serve as a wake-up call for the entire healthcare system and stressed that other major public hospitals, including Polyclinic Hospital, also required immediate fire-safety assessments.
It expressed concern over the absence of the Chairman CDA/Chief Commissioner Islamabad from the meeting and directed that the Commissioner Islamabad/Chairman CDA, members of the Prime Minister's inquiry committee and the eight persons identified in the interim report be summoned at the next meeting.
The Committee also proposed third-party fire, performance, clinical and safety audits of healthcare facilities across Islamabad Capital Territory.
Members further highlighted shortages of doctors and other healthcare staff, inadequate availability of postgraduate and associate-level specialists, patient-management issues and allegations regarding referrals of patients to private clinics.
The Committee emphasized that its objective was not merely to assign blame but to ensure reforms that could prevent another tragedy.
The Chairman said the Committee would continue pursuing the matter until responsibility was established and effective corrective measures were implemented.