Following widespread criticism, Federal Minister for National and Health Services on Wednesday offered himself to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for accountability over the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) tragedy that claimed lives of 14 infants.
“Accountability should start with me,” he said while speaking on Geo News programme 'Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath', adding that no one under his authority should be protected if they were found responsible for negligence or wrongdoing.
At least 14 infants died after a fire broke out in the gynaecology ward of the Pims hospital today. The tragedy sparked widespread criticism of the health minister and the authorities concerned, with citizens across the country expressing outrage and demanding accountability for the incident.
Kamal said the government had constituted a high-powered inquiry committee to investigate the incident and that its members would be free to determine responsibility.
He said around 400 to 450 people had been evacuated from the affected area. Addressing questions over a gate that had reportedly been closed, the minister said the passage had been open for movement four or five years ago but was subsequently secured after three newborn babies were stolen from PIMS around three years earlier.
According to Kamal, the gate had therefore been manned by security personnel and used as a controlled entry and exit point. He said the preliminary information available so far indicated that the gate had not caused any problem during the evacuation.
He said four babies were evacuated from a room immediately adjacent to the room where the fire broke out, while hundreds of patients, mothers who had recently delivered babies and other people were evacuated from the surrounding rooms and corridor.
Kamal said preliminary video evidence indicated that flames appeared at around 6:38pm and that by 6:39pm the entire room had caught fire, apparently intensified by oxygen. He stressed that this was only preliminary information and that the inquiry committee would establish the facts.
The minister said the committee would determine what caused the fire and establish responsibility for the deaths.
Responding to questions about Pims’ fire-safety infrastructure, Kamal said sprinklers had not been installed because the 1984 building was technically unsuitable for them.
He said Pims was built at a time when Islamabad's population was around 350,000, whereas the city now has a population of around 3.6 million. The hospital, he added, also caters to patients from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
During the interview, Kamal was questioned about previous incidents at the hospital, including the deaths of four heatstroke patients in June 2023 amid a malfunctioning air-conditioning system and a fire at the female nursing hostel in July.
Kamal said he could not comment on events that occurred before he assumed office and that he would wait for the findings of the current inquiry.
Regarding the July hostel fire, he said the incident involved a small fire in which a sofa was damaged and no major incident occurred. He said a report had been prepared and that the administration had taken the necessary precautionary measures.
Kamal again stressed that anyone found responsible for the current incident would face consequences.
Kamal said Pims had around 300 outpatient departments three decades ago, whereas approximately 9,500 people now visit the hospital daily, with patients and their attendants bringing the total number of people at the facility to around 50,000.
He said fire extinguishers were available at the hospital and 22 of the facility's 36 extinguishers were used during the incident.
He said the fire was contained using the extinguishers and did not spread to the adjoining rooms, adding that the extent of the fire could otherwise have caused even greater destruction.
Kamal again stressed that anyone found responsible for the current incident would face consequences.
Earlier, the health minister faced protests from people while speaking to the media outside the hospital and had to leave the premises.
Kamal said he had remained in contact with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif throughout the day after the incident and that the premier was deeply disturbed and concerned.
He said he had joined a meeting through video link while travelling from Karachi to Islamabad and went directly to Pims after landing.
According to Kamal, the prime minister had summoned officials from relevant institutions and obtained a preliminary report before ordering further investigation.
He said the government had established a permanent inquiry committee that would submit its findings and that decisions would be taken on the basis of those findings.
Kamal said the prime minister had also discussed reviewing fire-safety arrangements, drills and training at the two federal hospitals in Islamabad.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) senior leader Senator Sherry Rehman demanded the health minister to tender his resignation over the tragedy.
Sherry said the emergency department’s door was locked, and people had to break windows to enter.
“According to my information, doctors were not present,” Rehman said, describing the loss of newborn lives as extremely tragic.
She said the PPP had not come to politicise the incident but had a responsibility to question what happened.
“The minister responsible should resign,” Rehman added.
PPP leader Nayer Hussain Bokhari said the Health Ministry should be answerable for the incident and that removing only one secretary would not be enough.
