PM Shehbaz awards Rs10m cheque to nurse who saved newborn during PIMS fire

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday met the nurse who saved a newborn’s life during the recent fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and awarded her a cheque of Rs10 million in recognition of her extraordinary bravery and sense of duty.

On August 26, 14 newborns were killed after a fire broke out on the third floor of the Mother and Child Hospital at PIMS in Islamabad, triggering widespread outrage and demands from people and political parties for action against those responsible. The prime minister had approved the conferment of the Sitara-e-Khidmat and the cash reward for her last week.

In a meeting held at the PM Office in Islamabad today, the premier said, “Nurse Razia Noreen, by placing her own life in danger, saved the newborn with courage … for this noble act, may Allah Almighty bestow abundant reward,” adding that the entire nation took pride in her and acknowledged her bravery.

To honour her sense of devotion to duty, the premier presented a Rs10 million cheque to the nurse as she accompanied Health Minister Mustafa Kamal and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar at the meeting.

The monetary reward carried its own meaning; the real recognition was that she truly deserved this honour, he added. He further announced that the Sitara-e-Khidmat would be conferred on her on March 23, 2027, in recognition of her extraordinary services.

Read: PM vows no leniency for officials held responsible for PIMS fire

PM Shehbaz highlighted that the mother of the child whom the nurse saved would forever remember Razia in her prayers.

At the same time, the premier vowed to punish those responsible for the fire at the PIMS hospital. “The government will make every effort in this regard,” he stressed during the meeting.

Razia said she was “only carrying out her duty”, as people had entrusted their children to her.

She said that she was happy to receive recognition and hoped fellow nurses followed her example and replicated her dedication and work.

Recalling the fire incident at PIMS, she said she could not think of anything and went straight inside to save who she could. She also said she instructed another nurse to save the children, who then helped her rescue people outside the neonatal ward, including mothers who recently went through C-sections.

She said she rescued a small child weighing 1050 grams and handed him over to Dr Abdul Rehman so that he did not get misplaced during the chaos that followed the fire. She said she ran back inside to save another child when a blast tore through the area, engulfing it in smoke and darkness.

Razia lamented that she could not save more children.

Also Read: Judicial commission may be formed if PIMS probe fails to satisfy: Mustafa Kamal

A day earlier, PM Shehbaz once again ordered strict action against officials found guilty of criminal negligence in the PIMS fire incident, saying no leniency would be shown to those responsible for the tragedy. After an inquiry committee presented its interim report, the prime minister approved the immediate suspension of eight officials and ordered departmental as well as criminal proceedings against those identified as responsible.

He also directed the health minister and health secretary to ensure their personal presence at PIMS on alternate days and oversee, under their supervision, the implementation of measures for the hospital’s improvement.

Inquiry findings

The incident sparked nationwide outrage after 14 newborns were killed, with only one newborn girl among those inside the ward rescued alive.

The tragedy prompted immediate action from the federal government, with PM Shehbaz forming a five-member inquiry committee. The committee’s interim report highlighted several deficiencies at the hospital and recommended action against eight individuals.

Those identified by the committee and suspended on the prime minister’s orders include PIMS Executive Director Prof Dr Imran Sikandar, Joint Executive Directors Dr Mutahir Shah and Dr Owais Ali Shah, head of the neonatal department Prof Dr Sadia Riaz, senior registrars Dr Naghma and Dr Nousheela Amjad, PIMS Assistant Director Security Mohammad Usman and Capital Development Authority Emergency Services Director General Dr Abdul Rehman.

The interim report said the precise source of ignition had not yet been “conclusively established”, adding that various accounts had attributed the fire to an air conditioner, an incubator or warmer, or an electrical short circuit or overloaded plug.

“Accordingly, an internal electrical/equipment-related origin remains plausible, but it would be premature to identify any particular appliance or component as the established cause,” the report said.

Read More: The PIMS fire and the failures behind it: What the interim inquiry report says

The report said the Capital Emergency Services (CES) had separately found fire and life-safety arrangements to be inadequate and compromised.

It said emergency exits and escape routes were locked or obstructed, security personnel hindered aspects of the initial response, and crowd management was inadequate. According to the CES account, firefighters had to forcibly open locked fire-exit doors and other access points.

The committee recommended that smoke and heat detection systems, alarms, fire extinguishers, hydrants, emergency lighting, electrical protection systems and all designated fire exits be physically inspected, tested and documented.

It said any mandatory emergency exit found locked, obstructed or incapable of being opened immediately during an emergency should be rectified without delay.

At the same time, legitimate controlled access to sensitive neonatal areas should be maintained through fire-safe arrangements, the report recommended.

The committee also recommended an urgent technical inspection of all incubators, warmers, air-conditioning and IVAC installations, sockets, plugs, distribution boards, circuit breakers, earthing and other safety-critical electrical systems in high-risk clinical areas.