ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved the immediate suspension of eight individuals, including PIMS Executive Director Professor Dr Imran Sikandar, following the deaths of newborn babies in the PIMS nursery incident.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, a high-level meeting was held in Lahore to review the incident, during which the interim investigation report was presented.
The prime minister ordered departmental and criminal proceedings against those identified by the inquiry committee.
The suspended officials include Joint Executive Directors Dr Mutahir Shah and Dr Owais Ali Shah, Dr Nousheela Amjad, Assistant Director Security Muhammad Usman, CDA Emergency Services DG Abdul Rehman, Neonatal Department head Dr Saadia Riaz and a senior registrar, along with PIMS Executive Director Dr Imran Sikandar.
Action has also been approved against the security company and officials responsible for security at the hospital.
A nurse and a female security guard who were present in the affected ward have been made Officers on Special Duty (OSD), with further investigation ordered.
The prime minister directed that criminal proceedings be initiated against those responsible without discrimination.
He also approved the conferment of Sitara-e-Khidmat on the nurse who saved a newborn during the fire.
Dr Muhammad Salman has been directed to serve as Acting Executive Director of PIMS. The prime minister also ordered the immediate appointment of new officials in place of those removed.
Emergency Response Failures
The preliminary investigation found that PIMS lacked detailed standard operating procedures and proper training for emergency situations.
Of the hospital’s 13 SOPs, only two subsections reportedly mentioned fire or emergency situations.
The meeting was informed that supervisory staff were not present on duty when the incident occurred. Two nurses, a female security guard and a house officer were present in the ward.
According to the briefing, the fire spread through the entire ward within approximately two minutes. One nurse managed to save a baby before the fire spread further.
The emergency services were reportedly called six minutes after the fire started, while the first emergency response reached PIMS 15 minutes after the call.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said those responsible for criminal negligence would not be given any concession and would be brought to justice.
He expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of the innocent newborns and said the entire nation shared the grief of the affected families. The prime minister vowed that those responsible would receive exemplary punishment.
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