A fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital in Islamabad killed 14 newborn infants on Wednesday morning. The blaze broke out just after dawn in an air-conditioning unit on the third floor of the Mother and Child Health Center. Hospital officials reported that only one of the 15 babies present in the ward at the time was saved.
The incident occurred at one of the largest state-run medical facilities in the Pakistani capital, which contains 156 beds in its maternal unit. Witnesses and family members at the scene reported smoke filling the building, leading to a disorganized evacuation as patients and relatives fled the third floor. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has since suspended Federal Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri and ordered an immediate investigation into the cause and response.
Disputes have emerged regarding the accessibility of the ward during the emergency. Jaweria, the mother of one victim, told AFP news agency that the maternity ward door was locked, while other witnesses claimed they had to break doors and windows to reach the infants. However, PIMS Executive Director Rana Imran Sikander told the BBC the door was not locked but was manned by security to prevent infant abductions. Witnesses also provided conflicting accounts of the response time, with some claiming rescue teams arrived two to four hours late, while Islamabad Chief Commissioner Sohail Ashraf stated teams responded immediately after the call.
The incident highlights ongoing concerns regarding building safety and emergency protocols in Pakistan's public buildings. Parents and witnesses reported a concrete lack of fire security, including a lack of fire extinguishers and restricted exits, which they claimed were kept closed to control visitor flow. These conditions reflect a broader pattern in the country, where recent fires, such as a Karachi shopping mall blaze in January, have also been linked to locked exits and lax enforcement of building codes.
The immediate consequence of the fire is the suspension of a high-ranking federal health official and a government-led investigation into hospital protocols. A person using government medical facilities may see changes in security procedures or building inspections as a result of the inquiry. The investigation will need to reconcile the conflicting reports between hospital leadership and families regarding the locking of ward doors. The Prime Minister's office has not yet provided a specific deadline for the investigation's findings.