ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services learnt to its shock on Monday that the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) operated for two years without a license from the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) before the neonatal nursery fire that killed 14 newborns.
The IHRA’s acting Chief Executive Officer Dr Rutaba made this disclosure during the committee meeting at the Pims, raising fresh questions about regulatory oversight of the hospital. Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti visited the affected nursery and chaired the committee meeting, with fire tragedy as the sole agenda item.
The members offered Fateha for the dead infants and conveyed condolences to their parents and families, terming the incident a national tragedy. Senators Syed Masroor Ahsan, Rubina Khalid, Nadeem Ahmed Bhutto and Nasir Mehmood, and Senator Shahzaib Durrani participated in the meeting. Sabeen Ghauri MNA attended as a special invitee.
During the visit, the committee members raised serious concerns over the absence of fire alarms and reported closure of emergency exits. They also expressed displeasure over the construction material dumped outside the labour room, saying such obstructions posed risks to patients and staff.
Senator Chishti directed the hospital administration to immediately remove the construction material, creating hurdles in hospital wards and access points. The hospital management played the CCTV footage of the incident. Several senators, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the footage and emphasised its independent examination.
Senator Nasir Butt said he was not convinced by the footage. Senator Rubina Khalid said video-forensic experts were examining the footage, while Senator Masroor Ahsan raised concerns about preservation of evidence at the site.
The committee was provided with the interim report of the inquiry committee constituted by the prime minister. The report has not conclusively established whether the fire began in an incubator, warmer, air-conditioner, plug, socket, wiring or another source. It said an internal electrical or equipment-related failure remained plausible, as Iesco records showed no fault or tripping on the external feeder.
The report identified prima facie deficiencies in fire-safety arrangements, emergency exits, evacuation planning, staffing, emergency alerts, security coordination and implementation of responsibilities.
Fifteen newborns were in the affected nursery when the fire became visible at around 6:38am on August 26. Fourteen died, largely from smoke and soot-inhalation injuries, while one baby was rescued. The hospital administration told the committee that the situation had been managed within minutes. The members questioned the availability of duty staff, including doctors, at the time of the fire and observed that adequate staff could potentially have helped evacuate more infants.
Chishti asked the IHRA when the Pims had been licensed and whether it had inspected the hospital. The acting IHRA chief executive officer informed the committee that Pims had not been inspected during the previous two years and had not been issued a licence. The members questioned how a hospital treating critically ill patients, including newborns, could remain outside the regulator’s licensing and inspection process. Senator Khalid sought an explanation over the failure to assess the hospital’s compliance with licensing and safety requirements, while Senator Ahsan questioned the regulatory system’s effectiveness.
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said a fire incident had also occurred at the hospital’s female nursing hostel in July and the ministry had not been informed about it, although it was mentioned in the interim inquiry report.
The report noted that the hospital management had not adequately acted on deficiencies identified after the nursing-hostel fire, which occurred around seven weeks before the neonatal nursery blaze.
Kamal said the hospital was operating under a dysfunctional management system. He said the hospital rules restricted appointment of the executive director to the serving staff and called for reforms to give the management stronger powers for recruitment, discipline and suspension of staff.
The committee expressed dissatisfaction with the performance and coordination of the CDA, rescue authorities, Civil Defence, Pims administration and IHRA. Chairman Chishti also expressed displeasure over the absence of the CDA chairman, deputy commissioner and Civil Defence officials.
The panel resolved to scrutinise the inquiry report and called for a comprehensive, impartial and technically sound investigation. It recommended that the prime minister’s inquiry committee brief the Senate panel in its next meeting and said those found responsible for negligence or violations would be held accountable.
