The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has decided to make fire safety training compulsory for house officers. The decision comes after the recent tragedy at PIMS hospital in Islamabad.
Under the new programme, house officers will learn how to deal with fire emergencies.
They will receive training on fire safety, emergency drills and the safe evacuation of patients.
The training will become a required part of house job programmes at medical and dental colleges across the country.
Fire drills at hospitals
Medical colleges and teaching hospitals will also hold regular fire safety drills. These drills will help house officers learn how to act during an emergency.
House officers will be taught how to spot possible fire risks. They will also learn how to use firefighting equipment and help move patients to safety.
The PMDC said the goal is to help medical staff respond quickly during a fire. The council wants staff to be prepared instead of depending only on emergency teams.
Review of safety rules
The PMDC has also decided to review the current fire safety rules at medical and dental institutions.
The council said the safety of doctors, patients, students and hospital staff is a top priority.
The PMDC is also considering extending fire safety training to medical and postgraduate students in the future.
The purpose of the move is to create safer medical institutions and improve emergency preparedness.
Recently, PMDC approved 475 additional seats for public medical colleges across Punjab.
This has provided more opportunities for students trying to get into medical colleges and reduced their dependence on expensive private institutions.
With the increase, the total number of admissions in public medical colleges is expected to reach around 4,000.
According to the University of Health Sciences (UHS), the 475 new seats are roughly equal to the combined capacity of five private medical colleges.