It was Wednesday morning at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital, maternity ward situated in the center of the federal capital. A horrific blaze erupted, killing more than 14 infants as parents say they waited long for help to arrive.
“We didn’t even think about our belongings. We just grabbed the baby and rushed downstairs. “Some patients had delivered their babies just that night. I don’t even know how we managed to get down – it was all a blur.”
These heart-filled sentiments explain the sad stories of many parents who lost their children without seeing them alive.
“All doors were closed; only one door was for us to visit our children. They kept the other doors locked because they feared we would come to see our children too often.” True or not, several eyewitnesses have claimed duty staff were not around. People had to “break the door down,” and rescue teams were forced to smash the windows to control the flames, a witness anonymity of name said to the media. Abdul Ghafoor, another witness, said he tried to get into the building to rescue babies but couldn’t reach the maternity ward.
“There was thick black smoke inside where patients were trapped,” he said. “Rescue teams arrived after almost two hours.”
In a shocking display of prolonged administrative failure and severe safety lapses, more than a dozen infants were killed after a devastating fire engulfed the gynaecology ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, exposing the dilapidated infrastructure and systemic neglect typical of Pakistani public institutions. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed his “deep sorrow and heartfelt regret” over the latest blaze and instructed authorities to “conduct an immediate investigation”, according to a statement from his office.
He has also suspended Federal Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri, a key official in the health department. The federal government gave the additional charge of federal health secretary to Capt. (Retd.) Muhammad Mahmood, a BS-21 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service. He has replaced Aslam Ghauri, suspended for 120 days earlier in the day following a tragic fire incident at PIMS Hospital.
