Acting NIH chief Dr. Salman named as acting ED PIMS
Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday suspended PIMS Executive Director Prof Dr Rana Imran Sikandar and seven other officials over the nursery fire that killed 14 newborns, and appointed National Institute of Health Chief Executive Officer Dr Muhammad Salman as acting head of the hospital.
The action came after a high-powered inquiry committee presented its interim report to the prime minister, who also approved departmental and criminal proceedings against officials identified by the panel.
Those suspended include Joint Executive Directors Dr Mutahir Shah and Dr Owais Ali Shah, head of the Neonatal Department Prof Dr Sadia Riaz, Senior Registrar Dr Nagham, Dr Nausheela Amjad, PIMS Assistant Director Security Muhammad Usman and CDA Director General Emergency Services Dr Abdul Rehman.
The prime minister directed the immediate appointment of officials against positions that fell vacant following the suspensions. He also ordered action against the private company responsible for security at PIMS and its officials, saying those found responsible should face proceedings under criminal law in addition to departmental action.
According to the briefing given to the prime minister, the inquiry found serious deficiencies in fire safety, emergency preparedness, supervision and management at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.
The committee told the meeting that PIMS had no comprehensive standard operating procedures or training arrangements to deal with a fire or other major emergency. Of the hospital’s 13 SOPs, fire or emergency response was referred to only in two subsections.
Investigators showed the meeting about two minutes of CCTV footage, which, according to the briefing, showed the fire rapidly engulfing the neonatal ward. The inquiry found that there was no fire alarm or sprinkler system in the ward, while the neonatal unit was also found to be in violation of relevant World Health Organisation requirements.
The briefing said the fire devastated the ward within about two minutes. It also said supervisory staff were not on duty at the time, while two nurses, a female security guard and a house officer were present when the blaze began.
One nurse managed to rescue a newborn before the flames spread through the ward, the meeting was told. The prime minister approved the award of Sitara-i-Khidmat for the nurse in recognition of her action.
However, another nurse present at the ward and the female security guard were ordered to be made officers on special duty pending further investigation.
The inquiry found that emergency services were contacted six minutes after the fire started, while the first emergency response arrived 15 minutes after the call, according to the official briefing.
The committee also noted that a fire had occurred at the PIMS nursing hostel in July, but no serious measures had been taken afterwards to strengthen fire-safety arrangements at the hospital.
It said PIMS had no dedicated officer to manage fire and other emergency situations, with the responsibility assigned as an additional charge to an assistant director.
Prime Minister Shehbaz directed the Ministry of National Health Services to immediately make the interim inquiry report public and upload it on its website. He asked the committee, headed by Shahid Khan, to complete its investigation and submit a detailed final report.
“Those responsible for criminal negligence deserve no concession,” the prime minister said, adding that everyone responsible for the tragedy would be brought to justice.
He expressed sympathy with the families of the newborns and said those found responsible would face exemplary punishment.
Federal ministers Ahad Khan Cheema, Attaullah Tarar and Syed Mustafa Kamal, inquiry committee chairman Shahid Khan, members Barrister Nabeel Awan and Maj Gen (retd) Khurshid Athar, and other senior officials attended the meeting.