An eyewitness has revealed harrowing details of the fire that broke out in the nursery of the Mother and Child Hospital (MCH) at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad.
Muniba, who said she had been at the hospital for the past two days with her sister-in-law following the birth of her nephew, claimed that the fire erupted in the PIMS nursery at around 6am.
According to the eyewitness, hospital staff allegedly fled the area without informing families or helping them evacuate. She said a woman eventually raised the alarm and alerted others that a fire had broken out.
“When I reached the nursery, the fire had become very intense,” Muniba said, adding that she managed to rescue her newborn nephew and another woman before making her way out.
She further alleged that hospital staff stopped them from leaving the building and told them not to go outside, fearing that news of the incident would spread.
Muniba claimed that the alleged negligence and delay in evacuation resulted in several babies being trapped in the fire.
“My nephew is safe because I personally brought him out safely,” she said.
According to PIMS officials, the nursery housed newborn babies who were either in incubators or receiving oxygen when the fire erupted. Officials said the incident resulted in the deaths of at least 15 newborn babies.
Fire breaks out on third floor
According to the Islamabad district administration, the fire erupted on the third floor of the Mother and Child Hospital’s MCH ward.
Rescue teams were dispatched immediately after receiving information about the incident. Six fire brigade vehicles and four ambulances participated in the rescue operation.
The fire was brought under control and the affected children were shifted to the intensive care unit. However, 14 newborns could not be saved.
Serious questions over fire safety
The tragedy has also raised serious questions about fire-safety arrangements at the hospital.
Rescue sources described the hospital’s fire-safety arrangements as inadequate, saying there was reportedly no water available at the fire point and that couplings were missing from the fire hose.
The sources also alleged that emergency evacuation routes had been locked.
According to rescue sources, no doctors, ward boys or other staff members were present inside the incubation centre when the fire broke out.
Parents also alleged that staff members were absent from the incubation centre at the time of the incident.
Malik Israr, whose niece was admitted to the gynaecology ward, told Dawn that renovation and repair work was ongoing in the building.
He said patients were asked to vacate the building after the fire erupted, forcing women who had recently given birth to rush down the stairs.