Lahore: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has approved immediate suspension and action against eight officials identified by the inquiry committee in connection with the fire incident at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).
Chairing a high-level meeting on the PIMS fire incident, the prime minister directed that departmental as well as criminal proceedings be initiated against those found responsible for negligence.
The officials identified by the committee include PIMS Executive Director Professor Dr. Imran Sikandar, Joint Executive Directors Dr. Mutahir Shah and Dr. Owais Ali Shah, Head of the Neonatal Department Professor Dr. Saadia Riaz, Senior Registrar Dr. Naghma, Dr. Nousheela Amjad, PIMS Assistant Director Security Muhammad Usman and CDA Director General Emergency Services Dr. Abdul Rehman.
The prime minister also approved action against the private security company deployed at the hospital and its officials.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved the award of Sitara-e-Khidmat for the nurse who risked her life to save a child during the incident. He also directed that a nurse and a female security guard present in the ward be made Officers on Special Duty (OSD) and ordered further investigation into their roles.
The prime minister directed that Dr. Muhammad Salman, CEO of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), be appointed Acting Executive Director of PIMS. He further ordered the immediate and simultaneous appointment of new officials in place of those removed from their posts.
The prime minister also directed that the interim report of the inquiry committee be made public immediately. The report will be uploaded on the Ministry of National Health Services website, according to the Prime Minister's Office.
'Those responsible for criminal negligence do not deserve any concession,' the prime minister said, adding that those responsible for the incident would be brought to justice.
He expressed deep grief over the deaths of innocent children, saying the entire nation was mourning the tragedy and extending his sympathies to the bereaved parents.
The meeting was briefed that there were no detailed standard operating procedures or training at PIMS regarding fire or emergency situations. Of the hospital's 13 SOPs, references to fire or emergency situations were found in only two subsections.
The inquiry committee was told that supervisory staff were not present on duty when the incident occurred. Two nurses, a female security guard and a house officer were present in the ward.
According to the briefing, the fire spread and engulfed the entire ward within approximately two minutes. One nurse risked her life to save a child before the fire spread through the ward.
Emergency services were called six minutes after the fire broke out, while the first emergency response arrived 15 minutes later.
The meeting was further informed that a fire had occurred at the PIMS nursing hostel just one month earlier in July, but serious safety measures were not subsequently implemented at the hospital.
There was no fire alarm or sprinkler system in the ward, while the neonatal ward was found to be in violation of relevant World Health Organization (WHO) requirements.
The meeting was also briefed that no dedicated officer was available at the hospital for fire-related emergencies, while an assistant director had been assigned the additional responsibility.
The prime minister was briefed about the deteriorating condition and administrative shortcomings at the hospital. He thanked inquiry committee Chairman Shahid Khan and all its members and directed them to complete the investigation and submit a detailed report.
Federal Ministers Ahsan Khan Cheema, Attaullah Tarar and Syed Mustafa Kamal, committee Chairman Shahid Khan, members Barrister Nabeel Awan and Major General (retd) Khursheed Utra, and other senior officials attended the meeting.