ISLAMABAD: Serious questions have been raised over fire and life safety arrangements at hospitals across the federal capital following the tragic death of 14 newborns in a fire at the nursery of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).
Documents have revealed that 44 hospitals and healthcare facilities in Islamabad have been issued fire safety notices, but several institutions have yet to fully implement the required safety measures.
The Emergency and Disaster Management Directorate of the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) had repeatedly warned public and private hospitals across the city to improve their fire safety arrangements and comply with mandatory safety requirements.
According to the documents, 44 healthcare facilities, including the Capital Hospital, were issued notices concerning fire and life safety measures. Separately, 42 public and private hospitals, including Polyclinic and Capital Hospital, had previously been directed to complete the required safety arrangements.
Capital Hospital was also issued a fire safety fitness notice and a hazard alert. The MCI raised concerns over the hospital’s preparedness and directed its administration to ensure the installation and maintenance of fire prevention, fire protection and life safety equipment.
The hospital administration was instructed to complete a fire safety audit and other precautionary measures and obtain the mandatory fitness certificate and No-Objection Certificate (NOC).
According to the MCI, the hospital had been repeatedly informed between 2014 and 2023 about the need to conduct fire safety audits. Approval and completion of fire safety plans, along with the issuance of a fire safety certificate, were also made mandatory.
The authorities directed hospitals to have their fire safety plans vetted by an MEP consultant approved by the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC). They were also advised to engage fire and rescue experts and PEC-registered contractors for the required safety work.
Capital Hospital was further instructed to conduct regular fire drills and emergency response exercises, while its administration was given three months to complete all necessary safety measures.
However, despite repeated warnings from the MCI’s Disaster Management Department, the required fire safety measures were not fully implemented.
The revelations following the PIMS nursery tragedy have raised serious questions about the effectiveness of fire safety systems in Islamabad’s hospitals, compliance with mandatory safety standards and the monitoring and enforcement mechanisms of the relevant authorities.
The PIMS nursery fire claimed the lives of 14 newborns, leaving their families devastated and prompting renewed calls for stronger safety measures and accountability in healthcare facilities.
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