The tragic fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad, in which 14 newborn babies lost their lives...
SPEAK OUT
The tragic fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad, in which 14 newborn babies lost their lives, is not merely a hospital tragedy; it is a reminder of a much broader challenge facing Pakistan’s construction sector and whether our buildings are genuinely designed, maintained and managed to protect human life during emergencies.
The government has ordered an investigation into the PIMS incident to determine its cause, assess the emergency response and establish whether negligence or shortcomings in safety arrangements contributed to the loss of life. The exact cause of the PIMS fire should be determined through an independent and technically sound investigation rather than speculation. However, the tragedy raises an important question: if a fire breaks out in a building where patients, children or other vulnerable people cannot evacuate themselves, are our emergency systems actually capable of protecting them?
Pakistan already has fire safety provisions within the Building Code of Pakistan (2016), which specify requirements for fire and life safety, including safe means of egress and fire protection measures. The real challenge is implementation. Fire safety cannot remain limited to obtaining certificates or installing a few extinguishers. Buildings need regular fire risk assessments, electrical and equipment inspections, functional alarms, emergency lighting, accessible exits, appropriate firefighting systems, evacuation plans, trained staff and regular emergency drills.
This responsibility extends far beyond hospitals. Educational institutions, universities, government offices, shopping malls, markets, commercial plazas, factories, hotels and residential high-rise buildings all require appropriate fire and life safety arrangements according to their use, occupancy and risk profile. The devastating Gul Plaza fire in Karachi earlier this year – which exposed serious questions about emergency exits and fire protection arrangements in a major commercial complex – demonstrated how inadequate preparedness can turn a building fire into a major human and economic disaster.
The government should therefore move towards a systematic, risk-based fire safety audit of existing high-occupancy and high-risk buildings. Compliance should not end at the time of construction or approval; buildings must be periodically inspected throughout their operational life. Where serious deficiencies are identified, owners and management should be given clear timelines for corrective action while critical life safety violations should result in appropriate enforcement.
The private sector also has an important role. Building owners, developers, architects, engineers, contractors and facility management companies must treat safety as a core responsibility rather than an administrative formality. Independent third-party safety audits, preventive maintenance, staff training and emergency drills should become routine components of building management.
ISO-based management systems can further strengthen this approach. ISO 45001 provides a structured framework for occupational health and safety, including risk assessment, emergency preparedness and continual improvement. Such systems can help organisations develop a culture of prevention, although ISO certification should complement, not replace, mandatory building and fire safety requirements.
Pakistan’s move towards green and sustainable buildings also provides an opportunity to adopt a broader concept of resilience. A genuinely sustainable building should not only consume less energy and water, it should also be safe, resilient and capable of protecting its occupants during emergencies. The Green Building Code of Pakistan already provides a foundation for improving environmental performance, and fire and life safety should be integrated into this broader vision of sustainable development.
The PIMS tragedy should therefore become a catalyst for a national conversation on building safety. Instead of waiting for another hospital, school, plaza or residential building to become a disaster site, Pakistan needs regular inspections, effective enforcement, professional accountability and a culture in which safety is designed into buildings, maintained throughout their life and tested before an emergency occurs.
The loss of innocent newborn lives at PIMS should not end with an inquiry report. Its most meaningful legacy would be a national commitment that every hospital, school, public building, commercial plaza and residential complex in Pakistan is not merely approved for occupation, but demonstrably prepared to protect human life when the unexpected happens.
The author is a senior environmental professional. He is the former Director General of Sindh Environmental Protection Agency and currently the CEO of ECC Consultants.
