KARACHI:
The tragic fire incident at PIMS Hospital, Islamabad, in which around 15 innocent infants lost their lives is not merely a heartbreaking accident, it also raises extremely serious questions about negligence, safety standards, emergency preparedness and the so-called system of good governance. How can a major public-sector hospital, entrusted with the lives of the most vulnerable patients, allow such a catastrophe to occur? This incident cannot be brushed aside as an unavoidable mishap. Those responsible for maintaining fire safety, electrical systems, emergency exits, alarms and evacuation arrangements must be held accountable through a transparent and impartial investigation.
The government must also immediately conduct a comprehensive safety audit of all public hospitals and ensure that every lifesaving facility meets mandatory fire and emergency standards. No family should ever have to suffer the unimaginable pain of losing an innocent child because of administrative negligence, poor maintenance or institutional incompetence.
The nation demands accountability, corrective action and a system in which negligence that costs innocent lives is treated as a grave responsibility, not quietly forgotten after the headlines disappear.
Mumraiz Khan
Karachi
