PIMS officials, staff found negligent in preliminary probe into nursery fire

The report of the prime minister’s inquiry committee includes statements recorded from hospital officials and staff, while the committee also examined the timeline of the fire being reported and the arrival of the fire brigade., the rescue team faced several obstacles while trying to reach the affected area.

The doors were locked, technical staff was not present and adequate firefighting equipment was unavailable. The rescue team had to break through walls to enter the area. The report also found that hospital staff had not been properly trained to deal with emergency situations.

The 48-hour period given to the prime minister’s committee is ending today, while the committee will submit a detailed report within five days. Earlier, the prime minister’s committee recorded statements from more than 30 employees, including the executive director, joint executive director, doctors and nurses.

Statements were also recorded from more than 18 security guards deployed at the children’s ward. The committee also checked the biometric record of staff who were on duty at the time of the incident.

Fire brigade personnel who went to extinguish the fire, the director general of Emergency and Disaster Management and the director of the fire brigade also recorded their statements. The committee further examined the timeline of the rescue teams’ response.

Meanwhile, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has again written to the relevant authorities regarding fire safety arrangements, while a petition seeking the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the PIMS tragedy has been filed in the Islamabad High Court.

Alongside the inquiry committee formed by the prime minister, the PIMS administration has also constituted a separate inquiry committee to investigate the incident. The committee on Thursday took custody of CCTV footage from the hospital’s nursery, recorded statements from PIMS staff and reviewed reports from the fire brigade and emergency department.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Health reviewed the PIMS tragedy and demanded the suspension of doctors and staff who were on duty at the time of the incident, along with the resignation of Health Minister Mustafa Kamal. Dr Mahesh Kumar also visited the hospital and questioned the conflicting accounts regarding the cause of the fire.

He said it had been stated the previous day that the fire started from an air conditioner, but it was later revealed that the AC was not even operational. Dr Mahesh Kumar questioned the explanation and remarked that it appeared as if all the nurses had been seated together and made to memorise the same statement.