Pakistan PM Orders Suspension of Eight Officials After Hospital Fire Kills 14 Newborns

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered the suspension of eight officials and directed that criminal proceedings be initiated against those found responsible for a fire that killed 14 newborns at a hospital in Islamabad, his office said on Saturday. Sharif issued the orders after an interim report by an investigative committee found serious lapses in fire safety and emergency preparedness at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS). The fire broke out on the third-floor nursery on Wednesday, where 15 newborns were being treated. The blaze spread rapidly, and hospital staff were able to rescue only one baby, officials said. The committee found that the nursery had neither a fire alarm nor a sprinkler system. It also said the hospital lacked detailed procedures and adequate training to deal with fires and other emergencies. The report said supervisory staff were not present when the fire broke out. Two nurses, a female security guard and a house officer were in the ward at the time. Emergency services were alerted six minutes after the fire started, while the first responders arrived 15 minutes after receiving the call, according to the interim report. Investigators also found that only two of the hospital's 13 standard operating procedures dealt with fires or other emergencies. “Those guilty of criminal negligence deserve no leniency,” Sharif was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. He ordered departmental and criminal proceedings against officials identified by the inquiry committee. Those facing action include the hospital's executive director, two joint executive directors, the head of the neonatal department, two doctors, the assistant director for security and the head of the Capital Development Authority's emergency services. Sharif also approved action against the private company responsible for hospital security and its officials. The government has announced compensation of 5 million Pakistani rupees (around $18,000) for each bereaved family. The interim report also recommended recognition for a nurse who risked her life to save a newborn before the flames spread through the ward. Sharif approved the recommendation to confer the Sitara-i-Khidmat, a state award for public service, on her. The deaths have triggered public anger and demands for accountability from grieving families and civil society groups. The incident has also prompted wider reviews of fire-safety arrangements at hospitals across Pakistan. Punjab authorities this week ordered an immediate assessment of fire-safety systems, firefighting equipment and emergency-response facilities at hospitals across the province. The fire was among Pakistan's deadliest recent tragedies involving children. In June, 14 schoolchildren were killed when the roof of an under-construction tutoring centre collapsed in Lahore.