Pakistan Orders Immediate Fire Safety Audits at Federal Hospitals After PIMS Tragedy
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: Pakistan’s Ministry of National Health Services has ordered immediate comprehensive fire safety audits at federally administered government hospitals following the deadly blaze at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) that killed 14 newborn babies.
The directive, issued on the instructions of Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, requires hospitals under the ministry’s administrative control to begin inspections through competent and authorised fire-safety firms.
The move represents one of the most significant immediate safety measures announced after Wednesday’s PIMS tragedy, which has triggered nationwide scrutiny of emergency preparedness, fire protection systems and accountability in public healthcare facilities.
Fire Alarms, Equipment and Emergency Exits to Be Checked
Under the ministry’s directive, auditors will assess the availability, condition and functionality of fire detection systems, alarms, firefighting equipment and other safety arrangements at hospitals.
Emergency exits and evacuation routes will also be inspected to determine whether patients, medical workers, hospital employees and visitors could be safely evacuated during a fire or other emergency.
The audit will extend to electrical installations and other potential fire hazards, while hospitals’ emergency-response arrangements and staff preparedness will also come under review.
This means the exercise is intended to assess more than whether hospitals simply possess fire extinguishers. It will also examine whether detection, evacuation and response systems are functional enough to protect people during an actual emergency.
Dangerous Deficiencies Must Be Fixed Immediately
The Health Ministry has ordered hospital administrations to give priority to any deficiencies that could pose an immediate danger to human life or property.
Serious or hazardous shortcomings identified during the inspections must be addressed on a priority basis rather than waiting for the entire audit process to conclude.
Hospitals must also inform the ministry when their audits begin, identify the authorised company or organisation conducting the inspection and provide an expected completion date.
A comprehensive compliance report will subsequently detail the state of fire-safety arrangements, deficiencies identified and corrective measures taken.
Among the institutions covered by the federal directive are PIMS, Polyclinic, Federal General Hospital Chak Shahzad and Sheikh Zayed Hospital Lahore, according to reporting on the ministry notification.
Public and Private Hospitals in Islamabad Also Face Scrutiny
The Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) has separately been directed to ensure fire safety audits at both public and private healthcare institutions under its jurisdiction.
The regulator will be responsible for verifying the audits and monitoring progress on compliance.
This distinction is important: the Health Ministry’s direct order applies to public hospitals under its administrative control, while IHRA has been tasked with ensuring scrutiny of both public and private healthcare facilities within its regulatory remit.
PIMS Fire Killed 14 Newborns
The sweeping safety review follows the August 26 fire at the Mother and Child Hospital at PIMS in Islamabad.
Fourteen newborn babies died after the blaze erupted in the third-floor nursery. International reporting and subsequent government statements confirm the death toll.
The tragedy prompted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to suspend federal Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri and order an investigation. A high-level inquiry headed by former federal secretary Shahid Khan was tasked with investigating the incident.
The federal government has also announced Rs5 million in compensation for each bereaved family.
Exact Cause Still Requires Final Investigation
Initial accounts of the blaze have pointed towards an electrical fault or malfunction near an air-conditioning unit, with high oxygen levels in the nursery potentially contributing to the rapid spread of the fire.
However, the precise cause should not yet be treated as conclusively established.
Preliminary findings reported by Pakistani media said a spark was observed near an air conditioner shortly before the fire spread rapidly, while oxygen points alongside incubators intensified the flames. Officials have stressed that the final cause is subject to the formal investigation.
That distinction is significant because early statements and witness accounts have offered differing details about how the fire began and how the emergency response unfolded.
Hospital Safety Reviews Expand Beyond Federal Facilities
The PIMS disaster has triggered fire-safety action outside the federal health system as well.
Punjab authorities ordered urgent inspections of public healthcare facilities, including checks on emergency exits, firefighting equipment and related infrastructure. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also sought a feasibility assessment for technology-based fire alarms, smoke detectors and sprinkler systems in critical areas such as ICUs, nurseries and emergency departments.
Lahore authorities were continuing hospital safety audit activities on Friday, demonstrating that the response has expanded beyond Islamabad.
Accountability Pressure Continues
The deaths have also intensified political and public demands for accountability.
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal told the Senate that no person found responsible would be protected and said the tragedy should lead to wider reform of Pakistan’s healthcare system rather than become an issue that disappears after several days.
The Pakistan Peoples Party has meanwhile demanded Kamal’s resignation, while lawmakers have pressed for a thorough investigation and accountability over the deaths.
The immediate challenge for the government is now to ensure that the newly ordered audits lead to verifiable corrective measures rather than remaining a compliance exercise on paper.
The scale of the response — covering alarms, electrical systems, evacuation routes, firefighting equipment and staff preparedness — could expose wider deficiencies across government healthcare facilities and determine whether additional infrastructure upgrades are required.
