PM sets three-month deadline for PIMS safety overhaul after inquiry finds 'systemic failures'

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday ordered authorities to complete proposed measures to improve the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), including its fire safety system, within three months after an inquiry report found systemic and institutional failures, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said.

“Implementation of the short-term measures proposed in the inquiry report should be ensured within the next three months,” PM Shehbaz said.

The prime minister issued the directives during a meeting in Islamabad to review the PIMS inquiry report released a day earlier and the Ministry of National Health Services’ performance audit of the hospital. The meeting came a day after a detailed report of the inquiry committee was issued, which found that the fire resulted from “systemic and institutional failures”, with the hospital and its senior management bearing primary responsibility for failing to address known safety risks.

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. Following the incident, PM Shehbaz formed a five-member inquiry committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fire.

According to the PMO's statement, the meeting was told that only 39.7 per cent compliance had been recorded among the indicators assessed in the PIMS performance audit, against the acceptable target.

The prime minister directed that every possible step be taken to improve PIMS and bring it in line with international standards. He also directed authorities to seek assistance and recommendations from the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI) on the hospital’s fire safety system.

PM Shehbaz said recommendations contained in a World Health Organisation report should also be considered and their implementation ensured.

He directed that measures to ensure medicines and facilities were provided completely free of charge at the hospital be included in the improvement plan.

The prime minister also ordered the appointment of personnel with a good reputation to improve the hospital and directed that a comprehensive long-term plan be prepared for its improvement.

The meeting was told that 37 proposed measures identified in the PIMS inquiry report were being implemented on an immediate basis. Officials also briefed the meeting on short-, medium- and long-term measures.

PM Shehbaz separately directed that an audit of the Polyclinic Hospital be conducted, irregularities addressed, and a plan prepared for its restructuring.

He also directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to ensure fire safety measures were implemented at all public and private hospitals in Islamabad.

The CDA and relevant departments were also directed to conduct fire safety audits of public and private offices and buildings and ensure the implementation of safety measures.

Federal ministers Azam Nazeer Tarar, Ahsan Khan Cheema, Attaullah Tarar and Syed Mustafa Kamal, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath, and senior officials attended the meeting.

Inquiry committee finds 'systemic failures'

Previously, the committee presented its interim report to the premier on August 29 that resulted in the suspension of eight high-ranking officers of PIMS and external agencies, with disciplinary proceedings initiated against them.

The inquiry committee, which examined 52 points, found that multiple safety measures at PIMS were absent, inadequate, activated late or had never been independently verified. It placed primary institutional responsibility on PIMS and its senior management for failing to address known risks and earlier warnings.

The report found that an electrical fault involving the cable of Air Conditioning unit No. 2 was the most probable source of the fire, while finding no evidence of arson, multiple points of origin, an external electrical fault attributed to IESCO, an oxygen release before the fire, or an incubator or warmer causing the blaze.

The committee found that 15 medically fragile newborns had been housed in a 10-bed nursery, with several dependent on oxygen or respiratory support, while only two doctors and two nurses were immediately available. It also found no formally approved, staff-trained and regularly practised SOPs specifically for evacuating newborns.

The report said frontline staff had responded within seconds of the fire becoming visible and rejected allegations that they had simply abandoned the newborns. However, it identified a major delay in activating external assistance, with the fire visible at about 6:38pm but external notification made at 6:54pm and operational assistance arriving at 7:01pm.

The committee recommended an immediate fire-safety overhaul, comprehensive electrical-safety audits, effective detection and alarm systems, dedicated newborn evacuation procedures and regular fire drills. It also called for clear responsibility, deadlines and independent verification for every corrective measure, stressing that a measure should not be considered implemented merely because it had been approved or marked “under process”.