The administration of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) is facing questions on Wednesday over its fire safety arrangements following a report by the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) fire department.
According to the report, PIMS had been receiving fire safety notices since 2018. The Fire Disaster and Management Department (FDMD) of the MCI had repeatedly warned the hospital about gaps in its safety arrangements.
Despite these warnings, the report said that the PIMS administration did not take proper steps to fix the issues.
In addition to this, several problems found during the fire safety audit were also brought to the hospital’s attention.
Read more: CM Maryam expresses grief over PIMS Hospital fire
Fire safety equipment found missing
The audit found that PIMS did not have some important equipment needed to prevent and control fires.
The hospital administration had reportedly been informed about these shortcomings several times.
The MCI also recommended that trained staff should be present around the clock to deal with fire safety matters.
MCI recommends safety steps
The fire department advised PIMS to obtain a fire compliance certificate. It also recommended regular evacuation training for hospital staff.
The measures were suggested to help staff respond better and ensure the safe evacuation of people during an emergency.
PIMS Hospital fire
14 newborn babies lost their lives after a fire broke out in the nursery of the Mother and Child Hospital (MCH) at the PIMS early Wednesday.
According to PIMS officials, the nursery housed newborn babies who were either in incubators or receiving oxygen when the fire erupted at around 6:45 AM.
According to the reports, 15 babies were present in the ward, out of which one was saved by her maternal aunt.
Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif also summoned an emergency meeting in Islamabad following the tragic fire at the nursery of PIMS.
Officials from the Ministry of Health, PIMS administration, district administration, police, fire brigade and other relevant institutions have been called to attend the meeting