The inquiry committee formed by the Prime Minister to investigate the tragic fire that broke out in the nursery of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital has prepared an interim report, highlighting key issues related to the hospital’s safety arrangements and difficulties faced during the rescue operation.
According to sources, the interim report is likely to be presented to the Prime Minister today. During its investigation, the committee recorded statements from hospital staff and relevant officials and reviewed the complete timeline from the time the fire was reported until the arrival of the fire brigade and rescue teams.
Rescue teams faced locks and other obstacles
According to sources, the interim report states that rescue teams faced serious obstacles while attempting to reach the affected area inside the hospital.
The report says some areas were locked, creating difficulties for the rescue operation. The situation became so complicated that rescue personnel had to break through walls to gain access.
Technical staff was not available
The interim report has also raised questions about the hospital’s administrative and fire-safety arrangements. It found that essential technical staff was not present when the incident occurred and also pointed to a lack of adequate equipment to deal with the fire.
According to the report, the hospital either did not have sufficient firefighting equipment or the available equipment was inadequate to handle the emergency.
Staff not properly trained to handle emergencies
The inquiry committee also reviewed the training provided to hospital staff. The interim report found that the staff had not received adequate training to deal with emergency situations.
The committee is examining what responsibilities had been assigned to staff during an emergency and whether they had been trained to safely evacuate patients, including newborn babies, to a secure location.
Timeline from fire outbreak to rescue team’s arrival examined
The committee conducted a detailed review of the incident’s timeline, including when the fire broke out, when the hospital administration was informed, when the fire brigade was alerted and how long it took for rescue teams to reach the scene.
According to sources, the committee also examined how long rescue teams took to enter the affected area and the extent to which obstacles along the way delayed or hampered the rescue operation.
48-hour deadline ends, detailed report to follow in five days
The 48-hour deadline given by the Prime Minister to the inquiry committee for preparing its initial report expires today. After presenting the interim report to the Prime Minister, the committee will continue its investigation and submit a detailed report within five days.
The detailed report will examine the causes of the incident, the responsibility of the hospital administration and staff, fire-safety arrangements, emergency response and obstacles encountered during the rescue operation, among other aspects.
Fourteen newborn babies have died as a result of the fire at the PIMS nursery, raising serious questions about responsibility for the incident and the hospital’s safety arrangements. The findings emerging from the Prime Minister’s committee’s interim report have further heightened concerns over the tragedy.
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