Criminal negligence

Fourteen newborns died in a fire at a government hospital and the state responded with suspensions, condolences and promises of the "strictest action". The real test, however, was whether the government would uncover what went wrong and confront the failures that made such a tragedy possible.

The preliminary findings now make that question impossible to avoid. The inquiry committee has reportedly found negligence, including locked doors, inadequate firefighting arrangements and insufficient emergency training. More than 30 PIMS employees have been questioned as the investigation examines who was present and what happened in the crucial moments after the fire broke out. These findings are damning because they concern basic emergency preparedness. A fire may be accidental. Locked exits, inadequate equipment and untrained staff are not. They are failures of administration and oversight. The CDA's assessment has raised further concerns, reportedly finding inadequate fire and life-safety arrangements and questioning whether escape routes were accessible. It has also raised questions over the response time and alleged that hospital security personnel hindered firefighters' initial response. PIMS has disputed aspects of this account, saying its emergency exits were open and staff immediately attempted to rescue the babies.

These conflicting accounts reinforce the need for an investigation that is genuinely independent. Accountability cannot mean allowing institutions to investigate themselves and then accepting whichever version is most convenient. This should end any pretence that PIMS was an isolated failure. The government must now order an independent fire-safety audit of every major public hospital in key urban areas. Alarms, extinguishers, electrical systems and emergency exits must be physically tested, while staff should undergo mandatory training and regular drills. Fourteen babies have already paid the ultimate price for institutional failure. The government must ensure that their deaths do not become another tragedy followed by hollow promises.