NA panel questions PIMS blaze inquiry

A parliamentary panel on Monday called into question aspects of inquiry into the tragic Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) blaze, including the absence of CCTV footage from inside the nursery, the determination of the fire's source and fire safety arrangements.

The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination also questioned the appointment of a pathologist for the post of executive director.

The federal health minister said that after the prime minister constituted an inquiry committee, the ministry had not conducted a separate investigation, while the additional secretary informed the committee that the Ministry of Health had written to the Ministry of Interior seeking criminal proceedings against the suspended Pims employees.

Committee Chairman Dr Mahesh Kumar said CCTV footage from inside the nursery was extremely important for determining responsibility, as it could establish the situation inside the nursery at the time of the incident and the steps taken by staff after the fire broke out.

The chairman questioned whether any staff had been deployed inside the nursery when the incident occurred, adding that available information showed only three nurses outside the nursery, while it remained unclear who was present inside at the time.

The committee also expressed dissatisfaction with a statement by the former PIMS executive director that the fire had been caused by a compressor explosion, questioning the basis for attributing the incident to a compressor when the final source of the fire had yet to be established.

The committee expressed concern over reports that the HVAC system had not been functioning properly and questioned why the relevant technical staff had not ensured the timely inspection and maintenance of the equipment and systems.

Members asked whether regular fire drills had been conducted at the hospital and whether staff deployed in highly sensitive areas such as the nursery had been trained to respond immediately and effectively in the event of a fire.

They also questioned whether the PIMS nursery and other sensitive areas had adequate and functional fire alarms, fire detection and firefighting equipment, as well as an effective emergency response system.

The committee sought clarification on staff shortages and recruitment and asked whether sensitive and critical departments had adequate staff according to their requirements.

Questions were also raised over the role of the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA).

The committee said ensuring the implementation of necessary fire safety precautions and SOPs was the responsibility of the relevant regulatory bodies. However, it observed that effective implementation of the required precautionary measures was not evident in this case.