A high-level inspection team is expected to visit the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad today following a deadly fire at the hospital.
Hospital authorities have cancelled the leave of heads of clinical and non-clinical departments and instructed relevant officers to ensure their presence during the expected inspection.
According to the hospital sources, the team may inspect several clinical and non-clinical departments and receive briefings from department heads.
The officials have also been told to ensure that staff attendance is maintained and that relevant records and information are available for inspection.
The expected visit comes after a fire at PIMS raised questions about safety arrangements at the hospital.
Fourteen newborn babies were killed in the incident, while authorities continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the fire.
The inspection team is expected to review the condition of different hospital departments as well as administrative arrangements.
Hospital management has instructed officials to remain prepared and provide the team with any records and information requested during the inspection.
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PIMS tragedy: Rs5m compensation approved for victims’ families
The federal government has approved Rs5 million in compensation for the family of each infant who died in the fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).
The government expressed condolences to the affected families and said it would provide all possible assistance during this difficult time.
It acknowledged that financial compensation could never make up for the loss of a life, but said the support was aimed at helping the bereaved families deal with their immediate financial difficulties.
The decision came a day after 14 newborns died when a fire broke out in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) on the third floor of PIMS’ Mother and Child Health Centre at around 6:45 am.
Fifteen newborns were in the nursery when the fire started. Rescue teams managed to save one baby.
Rescue officials initially said an air-conditioner compressor had exploded inside the nursery. However, the initial PIMS report gave a different account, saying a nebuliser used to measure oxygen near an incubator had exploded. Video footage from the scene showed flames coming from an air conditioner.
The report said the fire spread to the oxygen supply, while smoke entered the infants’ breathing systems through the pipes. The babies died after the oxygen supply was disrupted and from burn injuries.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a four-member inquiry committee to determine the cause of the fire and fix responsibility. The committee has been directed to submit an interim report within 48 hours.
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