Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has withdrawn Capt (Retd) Muhammad Mahmood’s additional charge as Federal Health Secretary and assigned the responsibility to Power Secretary Fakhar Alam Irfan, according to media reports.
Mahmood had been serving as Federal Health Secretary on an additional-charge basis following the suspension of Muhammad Aslam Ghori after the PIMS nursery fire that claimed the lives of 14 newborn babies.
The administrative change comes amid reports of differences between Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal and Mahmood. The government is continuing its review of health-sector management and safety measures following the tragic incident. Under the latest notification, Fakhar Alam Irfan will now oversee the affairs of the Ministry of National Health Services.
It is worth mentioning here that at least 15 newborn babies lost their lives after a fire broke out in the nursery of the Mother and Child Hospital (MCH) at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad early Wednesday, officials said. 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.
PIMS spokesperson Dr Aneeza Jalil said 15 babies were present in the ward, with one newborn rescued by a doctor. However, hospital documents indicated that 14 newborns were under treatment/admitted, while a 15th baby was rescued. The CDA Fire and Disaster Management has released its report on the fire that broke out at the children’s nursery ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad.
According to the CDA report, the fire may have been caused by an electrical short circuit or plug overloading. The fire emergency call was received at 6:54 am, while the first fire tender and rescue van reached the scene within six minutes.
The report said 19 people, including seven children, were safely evacuated from the nursery ward. Those affected included seven children, 10 women and two men. However, seven children lost their lives in the PIMS nursery fire, according to the CDA report. CDA found that fire and life-safety arrangements in the nursery ward were inadequate and did not meet required standards. The report further revealed that the emergency exits of the nursery ward were permanently locked from outside and obstructed, affecting evacuation and life-saving measures during the fire.