ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Health has decided to summon members of the committee investigating the PIMS tragedy to hear their findings and obtain detailed information about the incident.
A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Health was held under the chairmanship of Senator Amir Chishti, during which the committee discussed the ongoing investigation into the deadly incident at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).
The committee chairman said that PIMS Executive Director Dr Imran Sikandar would also be summoned to provide an explanation regarding the hospital’s administration and safety arrangements.
Committee Expresses Dissatisfaction With Authorities
The chairman expressed serious dissatisfaction with the performance of several relevant authorities, saying he was not satisfied with the Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Deputy Commissioner, Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) and Civil Defence.
He said the entire standing committee stood with Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal and stressed the need for a uniform policy for hospitals across Pakistan.
The chairman also criticised the performance of the CDA chairman and deputy commissioner, alleging that their administration had contributed to the deterioration of the city.
‘Government Should Not Run Hospitals’
During the meeting, Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said that the government should not be responsible for directly running hospitals.
He argued in favour of reforms in the health sector and suggested that the management and operation of hospitals required a different approach.
Senator Nadeem Bhutto questioned the focus of the reform discussion, saying that while Islamabad was being discussed, issues affecting other regions, including South Punjab, were not receiving sufficient attention.
He also raised questions about the accuracy and contents of the available report, saying there was a difference between what was being shown and what was actually happening on the ground.
Minister Calls for Inquiry Committee to Be Heard
Mustafa Kamal suggested that the Senate committee should summon the fact-finding team responsible for investigating the PIMS incident.
He said the members of the Prime Minister’s inquiry committee had the most information about the tragedy, while the Executive Director had only recently assumed the position and might not have complete knowledge of the incident.
The minister also suggested that the eight officials who had been suspended following the preliminary inquiry should be summoned and heard by the Senate committee.
“Call the eight suspended officials; they have the information,” Kamal said.
The Senate committee chairman responded that the members of the inquiry committee would also be summoned and heard.
Questions Raised Over Regulatory Oversight
Senator Nasir Butt questioned the role and responsibilities of the IHRA during the meeting.
When asked about its function, the IHRA chief executive officer said that the authority was a regulatory body.
The committee chairman then asked how many inspections or visits the authority had conducted during the previous month.
The CEO was unable to provide a specific figure and responded that inspections were being carried out.
Questions Over Fire and Safety Preparedness
MNA Sabin Ghori said that members of the committee had visited PIMS the day after the tragedy.
She said they had been informed that the incident involved a blast in a faulty air-conditioning system. She also said hospital officials had told them that the last drill involving security guards had been conducted in February.
The comments prompted further questions about the hospital’s emergency preparedness, fire safety arrangements and evacuation procedures.
Committee members stressed the need to obtain accurate information directly from those involved in the investigation and from officials responsible for hospital management and regulation.
The Senate Standing Committee on Health will now summon the PIMS inquiry committee, the Executive Director of PIMS and other relevant officials to hear their accounts and examine the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
The decision comes as scrutiny of the incident continues, with the government already pursuing administrative action and a separate parliamentary investigation process also being initiated.
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